Introduction 

Elizabeth Finch 


Censorship has at least two meanings. In its broadest sense it it 

refers to suppression of information, ideas, or artistic expression by 

anyone, whether government officials, church authorities, private 

pressure groups, or speakers, writers, and artists themselves. It may 

take place at anytime, whether by punishment of the communicators after 

dissemination of their messages, so as to deter others from like 

expression, prior to its widespread circulation, or before an utterance 

occurs. In its narrower sense, censorship means the prevention by 

government action of the circulation of messages already produced. 

These restraints have the effect of limiting the variety that would 

otherwise be available. 

There are as many reasons for censorship as there are against it; it 

is a fear that the expression, if not censored, will do harm to 

individuals or society as a whole. Obscene material is objectionable 

because it has the potential to corrupt personal morality or result in 

deviant behavior. 

Censorship has been practiced since the beginning of organized 

cultures. Societies which are most confident of their principles and 

the loyalty of it's members have a tendency to be more free in terms of 

censorship because they need not fear the consequences of dissent. In 

societies whose values are not fully accepted, or where rule is new and 

rests on shaky foundations, the heaviest forms of censorship have been 

installed. Though this is uniformly true, even the freest and most 

secure of nations find some form of censorship neccessary. 

Although the legal system in the United States has descended from 

British law, there have been significant deviations, the most dramatic 

being the written guarantees of freedom of expression embodied in the 

First Amendment to the Constitution. Historians continue to debate what 

the nation's founders meant to include when they wrote that there shall 

be "no law" abridging the freedom of speech or press, but there is 

agreement that they wished to reject the common law of seditious libel, 

thus making public officials fair game for criticism, and to create a 

barrier against prior restraints by government. 

Writing and print is the oldest form of widespread communication. 

Writing was once only accessible to the rich and powerful, but the 

printing press granted the common people with the ability to read books 

cheaply, and to publish books and pamphlets of their own. With the use 

of a printing press, anyone had the abililty to record and distribute 

their ideas. The printed word became a powerful force for democracy and 

reform. 

In the past, the musician's right to control his work was not a 

question. This has begun to change in recent years, however, as the 

lyrics to popular music have become more explicit and violent. There is 

much debate about whether a rap group portraying real life in the 

ghetto, or a heavy-metal band singing about suicide should be protected 

as artistic expression, or if these songs really influence society, 

becoming a cause of violence and hate instead of merely an expression of 


them. Does government censorship of offensive and violent lyrics 

improve society, or merely control artists who offend the wrong people? 

Television has become the most popular format for entertainment since 

its invention earlier this century. We can be entertained and informed 

by programs on TV. Stations are becoming less restrictive about 

content on their programs; more violence, profanity, and nudity than 

ever before are now allowed on TV. This has aroused the concern of 

parent groups whose lobbying has been somewhat successful in bringing 

about change. The new V-chip legislation passed by Congress requires 

all TV manufacturers to install an electronic device that allows parents 


to set the tolerance levels for violence, profanity, and nudity. 

The Internet is the fastest growing form of media today. Everyday a 

growing number of people are getting on the internet. This 

unfortunately includes people that most of us would rather not be in 

touch with. On the Internet, we can chat with public figures, or watch 

our children be stalked. We can find valuable information on politics 

and society, or find plans for building pipe bombs. The Internet's 

greatest strength is its greatest weakness, no one controls what is on 

it. This makes it a powerful tool for democracy, but also a means of 

access to things deemed too vulgar to be displayed anywhere else. This 

is behind the governemnt's proposed Communications Decency Act. 

Almost everybody nowadays believes that the freedom of the media is a 

prerequisite of a modern democracy, but at the same time, many people 

are also convinced that the media are turning democratic politics into a 


branch of showbusiness. In this report we will take a look at the 

media overall, public opinion , and give examples of the courts course of 


action with actual cases. (Whether or not we will include a segment on 

congress and the media is yet to be determined depending on the 

attendence of our 5th group member.)