Freedom of Expression and Censorship: Who, What, Why, and Should News Items Be Censored?

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."--The First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution

The first amendment impacts every citizen of the United States every day. The fact that I can write for the Cougar Chronicles and express my views and opinions to my school and my community is protected by the First Amendment. The right to express my views is protected to an extent. Where does one draw the line? What exactly is protected, and better yet, who gets to determine what should be censored? In my case, Mrs. Britt and Dr. Moore determine what gets printed in the paper and what does not.

Censorship of all media occurs on a daily basis. Editors determine what should go into their papers, magazines, and other types of print. News stations pick and choose what viewers will see and what they will report to the public. Whether you know it or not, the information you receive has been censored. Articles are cut, revised, and edited with the purpose of relaying facts to the reader or viewer with some sort of bias. When you pick up your local paper, you are reading the facts of a story mixed in with the bias of the author and the editor. They determine what may be "too harsh" or "too controversial" for people to read. Is this a good or bad thing? Is is constitutional to do so?

One topic of debate is the coverage of the war in Iraq. Some people say that U.S. citizens need to know absolutely everything about the war, the military's tactics, the statistics, the images of fallen soldiers, and the list goes on and on. Other people say that we should be guarded in what we show and that Americans have enough on their plates as it is, and they do not need to come home to images of violence and terror.

Censorship plays a big part in all of that. News stations were ordered not to show images of the planes flying into the World Trade Center shortly after September 11th. Certain songs were banned from the radio for months following the attacks. Remember the Dave Matthews Band hit "Crash into Me?" You could forget hearing that on the radio for months after 9/11. Even REM's "It's the End of the World as We Know It" got pulled from the airwaves.

Why do certain ideas and topics get vetoed before the public even gets a chance to express their opinions? It is because someone somewhere will find certain subjects offensive and the media does not want to become the source of a controversy. Censorship is not all doom and gloom. It is a good way to balance the news and to protect its readers or viewers from (especially minors) harsh and damaging images and thoughts.

Censorship also provokes thought and insight. It prompts readers to dig deeper to find information he or she may not have been told and to draw his or her own conclusions on topics.

Next time you pick up your newspaper or watch a local news report, think about this--am I really getting all of the information? Do your own research. You might find something that shocks you or sparks your interest.

--Whitney Black, Editor-in-Chief