CBC Radio has come out with a new broadcast CENSOR THIS!, interesting and easy to understand documentary series that tries to show the worldwide quest for censor free expression in news, arts, and science. This series airs Feb. 18 through Saturday, Feb. 24.
Censorships impact on society has been documented throughout history and continues to restrict the flow of information to the public, filtering expression through a variety of communication mediums. CENSOR THIS! Has global power because programs look at censorship in Canada and beyond. CBC foreign correspondents file reports on the issue throughout the week from locations as diverse as Bali, Syria, South Africa and Thailand. In Western culture, freedom of expression has often been taken for granted and CBC suggest that listeners may be surprised and unaware of the extent to which individuals around the world have endured persecution to convey their message.
A especially interesting part of the one-hour documentary, also titled CENSOR THIS!, explores music as an pathway for unique expression, and the conflict that arises between musicians and their censors. It airs on CBC Radio One, Thursday, Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT), and will be re-broadcast on CBC Radio Two on March 3 to mark the International Day of Music and Censorship.
2 comments:
Adrian raises a good point. Until recently I took for granted the freedom of information the internet provides. It did not occur to me that the internet is incredibly censored in many countries. China is a prime example of internet censorship. In China, the government blocks any internet content that they deem critical of their ideology or actions.
I remember in high school, being frustrated when content blocking software called “Bess”, which filtered websites based on keywords, made school computers nearly useless. I was looking at colleges my senior year on a library computer when Bess the dog popped up instead of MIT’s main webpage. I pointed this out to the librarian, but she refused to put in the bypass code. She informed me I would have to fill out a form to have the website unblocked, and it would be reviewed for approval by the board. I was beyond pissed off. Compared to what happens in China, my indignation at the time seems silly. After all, I could always go online at home with full access.
People in China don’t have that option. They are blocked from the websites of human rights organizations, political parties in opposition to the one in power, and even anything with just the word “dissident” in the text. In addition to control access to information, the Chinese government also uses the internet to track the online activity of any one who uses it. Even personal e-mail is monitored. The scariest part- violating China’s internet regulations means going to jail.
For more information on internet censorship in foreign countries, check out....
http://www.opennetinitiative.net/
and for more shocking details specific to internet censorship in China, look at...
http://www.cnn.com/interactive/world/0603/explainer.china.internet/frameset.exclude.html
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