Media & Censorship

Media Censorship

Media Censorship

The media is everywhere you turn . The media can be found in various forms such as newspapers , magazines , television , and radio . In the process of capturing ratings , whom is the media hurting more ? Is it people who are accused of a crime , such as O .J . Simpson , or is it the American public 's stupidity for believing everything they hear . The job of the media should be to find the truth and tell it to the people . The reporters ' work ought to be like a pane of glass

, flawlessly clear and unspotted , through which the reader might view the important events of the day

The media has the power to inform the public , but often the information it receives is distorted . The media has the power , although indirect , to influence people 's opinions it has shaped our view of society and the process by which we choose our leaders , make our rules , and construct our values . The media promotes what it believes is easiest for the public to accept , but in the process it fails to cover the issues appropriately . The media can make us wiser , fuller , and more aware Unfortunately , the media 's tendencies veer more towards clouding the public 's judgments , and causing confusion and disillusionment Therefore , limitations greatly need to be placed upon the United States Constitution in regard to freedom speech and of the press because presently the media is doing more harm than good

In general , censorship is the regulation and control of information and ideas that are circulated among people within a society . It refers to the examination of electronic and print media for the purposes of altering and /or suppressing parts of the media thought to be inappropriate and /or offensive (Microsoft Encarta ) The implication of censorship is that it is necessary for the protection of the viewing public . Pornography , praise of crime , gangs , terrorism , subversive violations of national security , morality , opposition to the political or religious establishment are materials that can be exchanged through the above mentioned media , and are subjected to censorship

Throughout history there have been attempts to censor what people can read , write , speak , create , listen to and view . The verb "to censor " is defined in Webster 's Dictionary as "to alter , delete , or ban completely after examination " One attempt to regulate the media came when the Fairness Doctrine was established in 1934 . This doctrine was instituted to ensure that publicly owned television and radio stations would not be biased and would not promote their own views . The Federal Communications Council (FCC ) was created to enforce this doctrine . In 1987 , under the Reagan Administration , the Fairness Doctrine was revoked (Hull ) The role of the FCC changed , therefore evolving to monitor the decency of materials presented on the radio and television . With the abolishment of the Fairness Doctrine , the window for controversial journalists was opened . Thus , America saw the emergence of two strong willed personalities - Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern (Green

The Communication Decency Act (CDA...