Censorship in the Media

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The parameters of the term censorship have been changed and manipulated very much over the years. Television and movie ratings have become more lenient against violence and indiscretion because these things are now seen as entertainment. Is this appropriate for our youth? Should children be exposed to these images so early on? How does censorship in the media affect adolescents? Children are the future of our society and need to have some understanding of real world occurrences. Ultimately, censorship can only be determined by the parents. The media cannot filter every bit of controversial images. What rights does the media have in this situation? How are their First Amendment rights applied here? As an aspiring political science major, the First Amendment is of particular interest to me. How it is applied in different conditions is usually set by precedent, but times have certainly changed as the media has. Censorship is a very prominent issue in today’s world. Children’s minds are easily manipulated and sometimes are not capable of understanding the difference between reality and fiction. Censorship is a necessary vice, but the ones really in control, no matter which way you spin it, are the child’s parents. Between the start of television and films and today, many changes have been made to the definition of censorship. Censorship is not a new entity. It has been in existence since the Roman Empire, although they used it more so in the context of stifling any expression believed to threaten political or social order. “The term censorship comes from the Latin, censere "to give as one's opinion, to assess." The Roman censors were magistrates who took the census count and served as assessors and inspectors o... ... middle of paper ... ...mful word or image. It is also hard to enforce censorship rules because of the people out there who just do not care what children see or hear. Saunders, Kevin W. "Censorship for Children?" American Journalism Review 26.2 (2004): Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. Kevin Saunders is a professor of law a Michigan State University. In his article he discusses how the First Amendment should be applied to children for the sake of protecting them from words and images they might not be ready to hear or see. It crafts a careful lawyerly case that the First Amendment “should be significantly weaker” for children than for adults, shielding them from sexual and violent materials. Children do not have the proper ability to analyze visions of society. Triplett, William. “Broadcast Indecency.” CQ Researcher. 16 Apr. 2004: 324-44. Web. 20 Apr. 2011.

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