Page 38 - HMUN

Page 38 3170tthh AJuugnues2t 018

SHOULD MEDIA BE CENSORED BY THE GOVERNMENT?
- Sarah Singh

Censorship is defined as “the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that
are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security.”

Currently, media, in the form of newspapers,
television and film are the most mainstream sources
of information for most of the human population. The
information we receive from these sources, usually
shape the way we think, behave, speak and
sometimes even the values that we believe belong to
the core of our personal existence.

In most democratic countries, most forms of media
are not censored. That means that the news is not
controlled by the government in any way. This
unrestricted sharing of information is what enables us to be well-informed, and make decisions like
voting with a relatively unbiased mind (that is not to say that media sites are unbiased).

The censorship of media in any shape or form would be, in my opinion, a devastating loss to
mankind. Restricting the flow of information would be equivalent to propagating ignorance,
allowing people to form opinions or beliefs without the complete or even correct information. By
censoring media, the government could, in theory, shape the ideas and minds of millions of people,
affecting the future profoundly.

Suppose a government places a blanket ban on discussing the economic crisis of that nation. This
would only give rise to curiosity, prompting people to look for information in the wrong places,
arming themselves with incorrect knowledge or material, which could prove to be potentially
disastrous for that specific country.