International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

Generally speaking, censorship is the control of speech and other forms of human expression. For the most part, bodies that partake in censorship attempt to provide stability for and strengthen their control over certain individuals and groups under their authority. Censorship commonly takes place in the following areas: morally questionable material like pornography (→ Pornography, Media Law on), military intelligence, corporate secrets (→ Corporate Communication), government actions, and religiously objectionable material. Legally speaking, censorship involves the attempts of government agencies to restrict public forms of communication. These forms of communication include holding public meetings and protests, publishing books and other written materials, and providing viewpoints and information in → newspapers and → magazines, or on the → Radio, → Television, and → Internet.The two primary ways a government can censor material are either through prior restraint or subsequent punishment. Prior restraint refers to a government's attempts to prevent material from being released to the public. Prior restraints include legislation requiring a person to seek government permission before publishing or broadcasting information as well as government injunctions and orders barring the public release of specific material. Subsequent punishment, on the other hand, attempts to censor material ... log in or subscribe to read full text