Self-censorship facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Self-censorship is when someone chooses to hold back or change what they say, write, or create. They do this because they are worried about what others might think or how they might react. It happens without anyone directly telling them to do it. People like film producers, journalists, musicians, and even people on social media often practice self-censorship.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights says that everyone has the right to speak freely. This means people should be able to share their ideas and information without anyone stopping them.

Self-censorship has been around for a long time, just like regular censorship.

Why people self-censor

How our minds work

People often talk to feel like they belong. Sometimes, they might not share their true thoughts because they are afraid of being left out or becoming unpopular. When everyone shares similar ideas, it can make people hide their own opinions to fit in. People might even change what they believe to go along with the group.

Things like age, education, and what media people watch can affect self-censorship. For some, the main reason they change their beliefs is a fear of being alone or excluded. They worry more about how others will react than about expressing their own ideas.

A survey in Germany in 2019 found that 59% of people felt they could share their views with friends. But only 18% felt they could do the same in public. Even fewer, just 17%, felt free to express themselves online.

Some jobs, like psychology, can also involve self-censorship, especially when it comes to talking about religion. Some psychologists might avoid talking about their faith. They worry that showing strong religious beliefs could be seen as a sign of mental health issues.

Money matters

Self-censorship can also happen because of money. For example, a newspaper editor might avoid stories that could upset advertisers or the newspaper's owners. They do this to protect their job or make sure the paper stays profitable. This is sometimes called "soft censorship."

Rules and laws

In countries where the government has a lot of control, artists might remove parts of their work. They do this because they are afraid their government might punish them. Even in countries with more freedom, strict laws can make people in the media censor themselves.

What's acceptable

What people consider "good taste" or "decent" can also lead to self-censorship. Art or news that shows upsetting things like murder or war might cause complaints. People who manage art exhibits or edit news often remove or change these images. They do this to avoid being accused of being overly curious or trying to shock people. Ideas like political correctness can also make people self-censor.

Books and shows for kids and teens can also be affected by self-censorship. Creators might change content to make sure it's suitable for younger audiences.

For example, a museum director once removed parts of an anti-war painting. He thought it might upset the local community. He later said there were "zero complaints" because he "took care of it right away."

Hiding true feelings

Self-censorship is a way of hiding your true feelings. If you stay quiet when you disagree with something, that's self-censorship. If your silence makes others think you agree, you're also hiding your true feelings.

But sometimes, people go further than just staying quiet. They might actively pretend to like something they don't. For example, if you pretend to like a certain idea in a discussion, even if you don't, that's hiding your true feelings. It's more than just self-censorship because you are actively putting on a show.

So, self-censorship is about keeping quiet. Hiding your true feelings is a bigger idea that includes both keeping quiet and actively pretending.

In the news and media

Journalists often censor themselves for many reasons. This can be due to threats, instructions from their bosses, or worries about upsetting the companies that advertise with them. Self-censorship happens when journalists change what they report. They do this out of fear or to please others, without being directly told to. This is very common in countries where governments control the media. Journalists might be jailed or lose their jobs if they don't follow the rules.

Some groups have worried that news stations, like Fox News, sometimes censor their own stories. They might make content less controversial when reporting on topics like the War on Terror.

Authors Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman wrote a book called Manufacturing Consent. They argued that big companies owning news media can lead to self-censorship. They said that even news that seems fair can still be biased. This happens because stories are chosen or left out, and discussions are framed in ways that benefit the media owners.

Journalists have also asked military officials for advice on what not to publish. They do this to avoid accidentally sharing military secrets. In 2009, The New York Times held back news about a reporter being kidnapped in Afghanistan. They waited seven months until he escaped. This was done to keep the reporter and other hostages safe.

Sometimes, journalists self-censor to protect people involved in a story. A Canadian journalist, Jean Pelletier, found out about a secret plan by the Government of Canada to help US diplomats escape from Iran. To keep everyone safe, he refused to let his newspaper publish the story until the diplomats were out of Iran. This was despite it being a very important news story.

Self-censorship can be a way for journalists to survive. It allows them to report on some issues without going too far. This prevents authorities from cracking down even harder, which would lead to even less independent reporting.

In science

Self-censorship in a Chinese academic journal: An editor asks a writer to remove a sentence about blocking of Wikipedia in mainland China. The editor worried it could cause problems with the "authorities."

Self-censorship also happens in the world of science. For example, during Nazi Germany, some scientists hid findings that didn't agree with the idea of differences between races. They also refused to support General Relativity, which was called "Jewish science." More recently, some scientists have held back findings about climate change or endangered species.

Professor Heinz Klatt believes that laws against hate speech and ideas like political correctness can make it hard for scientists to speak freely. He says this leads to self-censorship on topics like homosexuality, disabilities, and differences between human groups.

Dangers from science papers

In the early days of studying atoms, scientists realized that discoveries about nuclear fission could be used for good or bad. They could help with medicine and energy, but also create powerful weapons of mass destruction. Some scientists thought that keeping dangerous discoveries secret could prevent these weapons from being made. Similarly, discoveries in medicine could help create biological weapons.

In 2003, a group of 32 top science editors and authors agreed that the threat of bioterrorism was serious. They decided to create a system of self-censorship for some research. They said they would deal with safety issues in papers. Sometimes, an editor might decide that the harm from publishing something outweighs the good. In those cases, the paper should be changed or not published at all.

By region

Africa

Journalists in some less democratic African countries, like Ethiopia, Uganda, and Zambia, often self-censor.

Central Asia

A lot of self-censorship in Central Asia has made it hard for independent journalism to grow.

China

In China, media and people online have to be very careful about what they post. Many companies have been shut down by the government for their content. For example, in October 2018, nearly 10,000 social media accounts were closed. These accounts shared entertainment news. Also, 370 streaming apps were removed from app stores for not following rules. Because of this strong government control, companies now hire people and use special programs. They find and remove videos and pictures that might upset the government before they get into trouble.

Western companies trying to sell products in China also self-censor. This affects the content available to people in other countries. It's increasingly happening with video games made by Western developers.

Colombia

Self-censorship has been found to affect journalism in Colombia.

Europe

Examples of self-censorship have been found in many European countries.

Some officials in the European Union have been accused of self-censoring on topics that China considers sensitive. They do this to avoid problems between China and the EU.

Threats to media freedom have grown in Europe recently. Journalists and people who reveal secrets have faced physical and mental threats. Self-censorship is a major result of these situations.

A 2017 study found that 40% of journalists surveyed experienced unwanted interference. This included psychological violence, like cyberbullying and smear campaigns. Other problems included threats from special interest groups, political groups, and even the police. Physical attacks were more common in the South Caucasus and Turkey.

Indonesia

In the early 2010s, self-censorship was studied among many newspaper journalists in Indonesia.

Palestine

Self-censorship was found in Israeli media during the Second Lebanon War. It has also affected discussions about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

Pakistan

Self-censorship practices in the Pakistani media were studied in the 2000s.

Russia

Self-censorship has been common in Russia for a long time. After a brief period of more freedom in the 1990s, it became very common again after 2000. This happened as the government took more control of the media. New laws in 2014-2015 made it even worse.

Turkey

Self-censorship has increased in Turkey as press freedoms have decreased. This happened under the Justice and Development Party government in the late 2000s. It affects discussions on topics like historical events.

United States

According to a 2019 survey, 40% of Americans did not feel free to speak their minds. About 60% of college students said they did not feel comfortable sharing their views on campus.