Comments on: Comments on 14255

Post number 14255

brookish — Mon, 28 Jan 2002 18:29:37 -0800

Privatizing Censorship "The Official Secrets Act (in the UK) will soon be unenforceable, and the internet already makes absolute control of information impossible, says Northern Irish web journalist Newton Emerson. What worries him is the changing nature of censorship. Over the past 20 years, mostly by accident, he argues, censorship has been privatised." And Emerson should know: his satires have caused an uproar in Northern Ireland.

By: bragadocchio

bragadocchio — Mon, 28 Jan 2002 20:28:12 -0800

Excellent article, and the Portadown News site of Newton Emerson is interesting reading. For some reason, I was reminded of the Orson Scott Card short story Prior Restraint when reading it.

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Mon, 28 Jan 2002 20:43:48 -0800

"Worst of all, some people even assume that they have A Right Not To Be Offended." Welcome to America, Newton. Bet you didn't even realize you'd emigrated, did you?

By: rory

rory — Tue, 29 Jan 2002 02:35:20 -0800

Wonderful stuff, full of quoteworthy gems. Thanks, brookish.

By: Carol Anne

Carol Anne — Tue, 29 Jan 2002 05:32:19 -0800

Broadcast material is also, it seems, potentially much more 'offensive' than newsprint, and the BSC Code of Practice goes on at some length about the importance of "taste and decency". This is why the BBC can show footage of a woman being shot in the head in a Kabul football stadium, but can never, ever, show somebody kicking a dog. Sadly, depicting violence against women is fine in American media, too.