Censorship and Media

Censorship is among the most controversial issues in the medial realm. Ideally, members of the media fraternity are accorded special privileges, which grant them the right of access to information regardless of the subject matter involved. Once this information has been retrieved, it is prepared and disseminated to the target audience using the most suitable approach. However, there are segments of the society that do not subscribe to this ideal. This notion is usually strongly expressed by national governments and other multinational entities. In this regard, there is need to establish the extent to which censorship in the media is influenced by information gate keepers, conservative notions, ethical perspectives, and the fundamental right to information.

First, gate keepers appointed in several organizational settings play a major role in limiting the extent to which information is disseminated to the public. In the media organizations, gate keepers usually take the role of the editor. Their main role is to edit the information going to the public with an aim of decreasing liability to the organization. Gate keepers may also include proprietors of media organizations whose role is to protect the political and commercial interest of some people through manipulation of their staff (Brereton 76). Thus, members of the media fraternity may not actually be fully aware of the ongoing censorship through the gatekeepers, who are deemed to be carrying out their professional duties and roles.

Secondly, the existence of conservative notions, which promote the view that media houses have limited rights in disseminating any information, has strengthened censorship of the media. These conservative views are mostly expressed by national governments and private organizations. Due to this position taken by conservatives, new rooms find it extremely difficult to access the much needed information. In response, the news rooms look for ways of avoiding censorship by acquiring information from remote news agencies (Brereton 122). Nevertheless, conservative governments still find ways of instituting selective broadcasting in order to control the unwanted information from reaching the public.

Thirdly, censorship in the media has widely been used by governmental authorities to promote positive ethical practices regarding the release of news material. In some circumstances, individuals may decide to expose certain organizational malpractices without pursuing the proper avenues provided to do so. On the other hand, certain television shows, such as, reality shows may have a negative impact when graphically harmful material is released to the people without proper censorship (Straubhaar, Larose, and Davenport 487). Thus, there are situation in which censorship of the media may be beneficial to the human society. 

Fourthly, censorship of the media needs to be implemented in such a manner that there is little interference with the fundamental right to information. In essence, everyone has a right to know what is happening around them. Additionally, in any circumstance people have the right to seek, impart knowledge, and receive information without any limitations (Fortner and Fackler 35). Thus, censorship of the media needs to be closely monitored so that it does not unnecessarily limit the rightful access to information.

Lastly, indeed censorship in the media remains one of the most critical concerns in the modern society. Regardless of the source, information can either be constructive or destructive. The essence of the media is to enable members of the society to access critical information on what is happening around them. Hence, governmental authorities should pursue a more liberal approach as opposed to a conservative one when it comes to the issue of censorship. On the other hand, the media deserves to operate in an environment free of interference, but it should also uphold ethical use of information.