Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
tions, and newspapers. Private organizations could not even own a photocopy machine.
Government monopolization is an effective way to suppress the flow of information.
Modern computer and communication technology makes government monopolization
much more difficult than in the past.
Prepublication review is the second form of direct censorship. This form of censor-
ship is essential for material the government wishes to keep secret, such as information
about its nuclear weapons program. Most governments have laws restricting the pub-
lication of information that would harm the national security. In addition, autocratic
governments typically block publication of material deemed injurious to the reputations
of their rulers.
The third form of direct censorship is licensing and registration. This form of cen-
sorship is typically used to control media with limited bandwidth. For example, there
are a limited number of radio and television stations that can be accommodated on the
electromagnetic spectrum. Hence a radio or television station must obtain a license to
broadcast at a particular frequency. Licensing invites censorship. For example, the US
Federal Communications Commission has banned the use of certain four-letter words.
This led to a challenge that went all the way to the US Supreme Court, as we see in
Section 3.6.3.
Perhaps the most common form of censorship is self-censorship: a group deciding for
itself not to publish material. In some countries a publisher may censor itself in order
to avoid persecution. For example, after US-led forces toppled the regime of Saddam
Hussein in April 2003, CNN's chief news executive, Eason Jordan, admitted that CNN
had suppressed negative information about the actions of the Iraqi government for more
than a decade in order to keep CNN's Baghdad bureau open and protect Iraqi employees
of CNN [40].
In other countries, publishers may want to maintain good relations with govern-
ment officials. Publications compete with each other for access to information. Often
this information is available only from government sources. Publishers know that if they
offend the government, their reporters may not be given access to as much informa-
tion as reporters for rival publications, putting them at a competitive disadvantage. This
knowledge can lead a “free” press to censor itself.
Publishers have adopted ratings systems as a way of helping people decide if they
(or their children) should access particular offerings. For example, television stations in
the United States broadcast shows with “mature content” late in the evening. Voluntary
rating systems help people decide if they (or their children) will see a movie, watch a
television show, or listen to a CD.
The Web does not have a universally accepted ratings system. Some Web sites prac-
tice a form of labeling. For example, the home page may warn the user that the site
contains nudity and require the user to click on an “I agree” button to enter the site.
However, other sites have no such warnings. People who stumble onto these sites are
immediately confronted with images and text they may find offensive.
