Censorship and Media

Censorship Among Media

A significant, controversial issue these days is whether or not there should be censorship among the media (i.e. TV, radio, and music). Editing out profanity, nudity, and violence takes away from the creativity and originality from the producer. By doing so, goes against the first amendment of the Constitution. What people do not understand is that there is always the choice to turn the media source off and walk away from it. Because if we had to satisfy every customer and consumer then we might as well not have any media whatsoever.

There are certain things in society that are meant to be seen by everyone and others that have a target audience. These target audiences are often based on age and race. In these situations the material should be labeled, providing a warning that it could be offensive or is material that is inappropriate for certain ages. Many CD’s and movies contain lines or scenes that are inappropriate for children. I think that the system of ratings that is in affect right now for movies is suitable about how it decides what movies are ok for the different age groups. Some CD’s provide a “parental advisory” label on them but that doesn’t include what is contained in the lyrics (specifically) like a movie rating. In movies they rate it according to age groups but also include what causes the movie to receive that rating. It tells if it contains nudity, strong language, references to drug use, and many other issues that a parent might not want their child exposed to.

Nothing should actually be censored from how the artist originally makes it unless he/she gives permission or makes a less graphic version for that particular reason. People express themselves through what they do and shouldn’t have to worry about someone changing their hard work. They know if it will be controversial when they make it and have the choice to change if they feel it is too much for viewers. If they choose not to change it or make another version then that is what they want, and people should respect their decision. It is their choice and you have a choice also, "[i]f you find some TV shows offensive -- and many Americans do -- don't watch them," argued Steve Dasbac, the national director of the Libertarian Party. It was in response to a possible move to censor television from what some representatives considered “sleazy” shows. Although there are already regulations on what can and cannot be shown or said on television they should not be able to take shows off the air simply because it offends certain people. If you do not like it then do not watch it, do not try to put an end to someone’s idea for a show. If television was censored to the degree where anything offensive could not be shown, then most shows would be taken off of the air. Even news channels would not be able to report on a lot of important events because it would always offend someone.

The regulations that are already inflicted on the media could, in my opinion, also violate the first amendment. Only certain words can be said on the air but since we have freedom of speech then anything should be allowed. I understand that these limits are put in to effect to keep a decent society, but there should also be stations that have no regulations on what words can be used for those people that consider themselves “grown-ups.” Either way, unless someone is stuck in a cave all of their life, sometime during their life they are bound to be exposed to profanity, nudity, and violence. Why not get it over with?

Anything that is not against the law should not be censored Having certain limits on who can view or hear certain material is good, but it should not be taken away from everyone. One argument that some people make is that what we watch on TV has a direct impact on how we live out our lives. A study done by Columbia University found that 14 year old males, who watched three or more hours of TV a day were two times more likely to commit a crime by early adult hood (Land). When someone reads these findings they might agree that TV is bad if viewed excessively, considering what is being viewed. Watching TV did not have any affect on what these kids did later in their lives. In a study like this I think that someone needs to look at the home life of the child also. What is their relationship with their parents, do they have a history of trouble? Since these issues are not addressed in the article I do not think that the study has much credibility.

In the study of the children, parents can stop them from viewing these programs at that age. I agree that there