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Censorship In The U.S. Media Term Paper

Censorship in the U.S. media Increasing competition for survival and pressures for making profit led the media to resort to lower quality content which seems harmful to the society, which necessitated the authorities to censor the media.

Censorship refers to the regulation of speech and other types of human expression, sometimes with reference to the government regulations. It normally prevails upon the actions that take place in public settings and normally relates to repression of them by culminating their expression. The censorship extends from particular words to complete concepts and the purported aim of censorship is to normalize or develop the society over which government has regulation. The origin of censorship is seen in England with introduction of the copyright laws that entailed the crown the authority of license publishing. It forbade printing without government sanction. It is sometimes referred to as prior restraint when a court or other governmental body forbids a person from speaking or publishing. Censorship in some countries like People's Republic of China, Saudi Arabia and Australia, are explicitly detailed in laws that clearly forbids the select positions from being published or propagated. Sometimes it is implied in the form of intimidation by government where people are fearful to express or support some opinions because of the fear of losing their jobs, their status in society, their credibility, or even to the extent of losing their lives. (Censorship)

Analysis:

The Government in United States is forbidden categorically by the U.S. Bill of Rights to censor advocacy of religious ideas or practices and assures the rights of citizens to express and publish freely and also to assemble to demand redress of grievances. However, the Censorship in the United States is exercised widely in almost every respect of the media. The Federal Communication...

It authorizes to impose fines when the broadcaster employs some swear words. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 regulates the political campaigning in terms of imposing restrictions on the purchase of TV and radio advertising that finds out a federal candidate within 30 days of primary or nominating convention or within sixty days of that of a general election. (Censorship in the United States)
The Invention Secrecy Act of 1951 and the Atomic Energy Act of 1956 withholds the patents and maintains confidentiality during war on the plea of national security. Supporting censorship in respect of obscene pornography the courts took the plea that the First Amendment safeguards indecent pornography from regulation but not 'obscene' pornography. The Communication Decency Act aims at regulating Internet Pornography. The external movement of cryptography software is controlled as armaments under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act -- DMCA forbids trafficking in 'devices' that evades copy protection. Libel laws are more widely applied against the free expression of individuals in public forums. (Censorship in the United States)

The pioneers of media literacy are not are antagonistic towards the protectionist or inoculationist philosophy and visualizes that the media education as a mode to safeguard children from bad messages and in the process defame their favorite TV programs, music videos and video games. Most of the teachers reveal that students are not attentive to the idea that they are victims of media effects and therefore necessary to be extricated from the excesses and evils of their interest in popular culture. In the early part of the year 2002, the White House brought out a significant policy document on Media Literacy Education realizing the effect of…

Sources used in this document:
The overwhelming public protest against crime and horror and the sexual allusions appearing in comics during 1950s led most of the major comic book publishers of America to form an Association that enforces censorship to their own comics. The Comic Code Authority, so formed forbids representation of gore, sexuality and excessive violence. It prohibits the disrespectful presentation or ridicule of the authority figures. It bans the scenes of ghouls, vampires, werewolves or zombies. It also prohibits the advertisements of liquor, tobacco, nude pin-ups, knives, fireworks, postcards and also the toilet items of questionable nature. (Comics Code Authority)

Since 1997, the TV Parental Guidelines system was introduced by the Federal Communications Commissions as a result of public outcry against the increasingly use of explicit sexual material and graphic violence and application of scatology in the television programs. The rating TV-Y indicates the contents to be suitable for young children and not intended to frighten the young children. The rating TV-Y7 indicates the contents not appropriate for children below 7 years. The rating TV-G is certifies the content to be suitable for all audiences. The TV-PG indicates the unsuitability of the contents for younger children, however entails the parents to watch with them. The rating is supplemented by one or more sub-ratings according to the content such as: - "V for moderate violence, S for mild sexual situations, L for mild questionable language, D for mild suggestive dialogue." (Television rating system) The next rating TV-14 necessitates parental guidance for children under the age of 14 years. This rating also includes sub-ratings of V, S, L and D. The rating TV-MA indicates the content suitable to mature audiences. (Television rating system)

The Entertainment Software Rating Board -- ESRB has been constituted during 1994 by the Entertainment Software Association, as a self-regulatory organization that is responsible for application and enforcement of advertising procedures, rating and online privacy principles for video games and computer use in the U.S.
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