Television Censorship

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Television Censorship

WHAT IS CENSORSHIP?

"Censorship is the supervision and control of the information and ideas that are circulated among the people within a society. In modern times, censorship refers to the examination of books, periodicals, plays, films, television and radio programs, news reports, and other communication media for the purpose of altering or suppressing parts thought to be objectionable or offensive. The objectionable material may be considered immoral or obscene, heretical or blasphemous, seditious or treasonable, or injurious to the national security. Thus, the rationale for censorship is that it is necessary for the protection of three basic social institutions: the family, the church, and the state. Censorship and the ideology supporting it go back to ancient times. Every society has had customs, taboos, or laws by which speech, play, dress, religious observance, and sexual expression were regulated(Microsoft Encarta 95)."

CENSORSHIP OF OBSCENITY

"The beginning of a new legal approach may be traced to the action of the federal courts in the 1930s, when they held that Irish author James Joyce's
Ulysses was not obscene and could be freely passed through customs. The courts ruled that the use of "dirty words" in "a sincere and honest book" did not make the book "dirty." Since the 1950s many obscenity cases involving books, magazines, and film have been brought before the Supreme Court. In the cases during the 1970s the court ruled that laws against obscenity must be limited " to works which, taken as a whole, appeal to the prurient interest in sex; which portray sexual conduct in a patently offensive way; and which, taken as a whole, do not have serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value." The
Court has further held that obscenity should be determined by applying
"contemporary community standards" rather than national standards (Microsoft
Encarta 95)."

WHO DOES TELEVISION CENSORSHIP EFFECT?

CENSORSHIP AFFECTS MINORS AND ADULTS

Does censorship affect both minors and adults? One incident in Ohio led a mother of a 5 year old boy to believe so. The boy's mother attributed his actions to the influence of the popular MTV cartoon show Beavis and Butthead.
In response to watching this cartoon the boy set his house on fir...

... middle of paper ...

...censorship of television. The government of the United States of
America has been getting very involved in what they think is appropriate to be on television. I want to know why they get to decide what I want to watch. I feel that it should be a person's choice. They say they are concerned with what children are viewing, or that some things such as nudity and swear words offend people. Parents should monitor what their children watch. If a parent does not want their child to see something in particular, then it is the parent's responsibility to see that they do not, not the government's (Microsoft Internet
Explorer)."
What do you think? Should our government continue to enforce television and film censorship as it has been? Or should all forms of censorship be abolished completely?

THE PURPOSE

"It is the purpose of this Act to increase competition in all telecommunications markets and provide for an orderly transition from regulated markets to competitive and deregulated telecommunications markets consistent with the public interest, convenience, and necessity (Telecommunications Bill of
1995, Internet)."

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