Recently there were a lot of reports about this index ranking press freedom by country. It makes one question how in today's day and age a lot of news, even state news, censors issues no matter if they happen in the country or abroad. Censorship is not only happening on a national level like how it used to be but on an international level. Recently German state news published a bullshit article about how after 70 years they make sure every voice is heard and they had to shutdown the comments quickly after seeing how greatly the public disagrees. These are valid concerns. All residents of Germany have to pay about 17.5 Euro per month TV tax and expect in return uncensored news.
So I would like to highlight examples how I see media censor voices.
News from China
Critical News about China can have negative impacts on the news organization. Aljazeera had to close its only office in China because non of their journalists could get a Working Visa and the last one was kicked out after their report on Chinese Black Jails. Getting kicked out as a reporter out of China is the lucky scenario as one of 2 reporters of Die Zeit was arrested for reporting about the Hong-Kong pro-democracy movement. She disappeared actually with her family not being informed where she was until the second reporter did enough digging to get a formal arrest order from her college. The second spy had to flee the country because the China suspected her of spying.
This though has a great impact on Journalists, as it prevents Journalists to live a normal life in China. Journalists who start a family in China have something the Government can simply take away.
You can see this censorship even in that Amnesty International Death Penalty report. It did not even say an approximation of the shadow executions only mentioned that Muslims may be executed without trial and never said anything about Muslims and Falun Gong in China being killed for their organs in thousands!
page 20
The authorities in the XUAR increased security measures in recent years in so-called “People’s War” and “strike hard” campaigns, impacting predominantly Muslim-ethnic minorities within the region. Such campaigns have typically been associated with the increased use of the death penalty, and scholars have criticized the proceedings used as part of these crackdowns for their lack of fair trial safeguards and the likelihood of “wrongful executions”
The media gets to be silenced about Concentration Camps despite all of us being told through history class that the World War 2 concentration camps happened ignorance about this issue allowed it to continue. This is a major value common in the West that we should never allow these concentration camps to happen again, yet the west betrayed these values. In fact many companies exploit the free labor and move their production to China. One of the companies is now Volkswagen, a company that started during Nazi Germany, moving to Xinjiang (where there are muslim concentration camps) and this fact is not mentioned at all in German media! It is Hypocrisy to continue to be ignorant about it, this news should be spread on every news network.
Even news from long ago gets censored. This advertisement by a German Camera producer was censored recently in China.
It hints to the Tianmen Square massacre where thousands died in multiple cities but only Tienmensquare was knows internationally.
Its going so far that Taylow Swift "TS 1989" shirt was banned because TS resembled Tianmen Square 1989 massacre. To bypass Chinese automated internet censorship Chinese netizens managed for a short time to spread this tank man image:
Note the original source of the picture is a Weibo account (Chinese Facebook).
News from Israel
The AIPAC lobby has managed to censor not only journalists but also politicians.
Criticism against Israel's Government is often countered with the shout "ANTISEMITIC". I never realized Natanyahu is the pope of Jews, yet I still criticize the pope for saying Africans shouldn't wear condoms but stay abstinent or protecting pedophiles of the Vatican. I guess I am the square root of evil.
Have you heard about Israel bombing Syria multiple times the past few weeks? Snipers targeting pregnant Palestinians during protests? Palestinians getting kicked out of their housing? Not on western mainstream media.
Nevermind the Nuclear Bombs and Human Right violations of Apartheid Israel but freak out if Iran does.
Steem is not imune to this censorship as you see with @mitrado @lyndsaybowes @nourtawfiq being censored by flagging.
"Socialism"
The cold war was only 30 years ago and many Americans are still influenced by those memories thinking that anything that is called socialistic or communistic is automatically evil. Not only that, anything that publicly gets disapproved by people that are heard, such as the news or the president, get influenced to disapprove as well before even knowing what it is about. I saw this a lot used against Alexandria Ocasio-Corez. This is dangerous as it directly influences the election results. The media fails to present us with the facts as it used to and focuses about the conflict instead.
FakeNews
When the president slams CNN for fake news while Fox News is apparently not there ought to be something wrong. A lot of media give in and become less trust able as they used to be. Political parties even share fake news articles. Arguments and opinions cannot be formed on basis of fake facts.
It also prevents arguments crucial for our democracy.
who gives you the right to critizise
This one is quite common. Not only in the west but in the east as well. "Who gives you the right to comment" if you are not part of the religion (Jewish voice of Peace are still called Self hating Jews instead of Anti Semitic mentioned above), or if you have in your countries issues as well. Are you suggesting that because I have issues in my country I should focus on only my country? No all issues are entangled. Germany is directly affected by refugees coming from the world's conflicts and climate refugees unable to farm in their country. Also I care because I am human and want to know about the issues of the world, because I want to make a change in this world.
Racist
As someone from east Germany I see this a lot. When media takes opinions about how well integrated east Germany is they usually take opinions from the west saying everything is dandy. Foreign media romanticizes the reunification of Germany as the 2 Germany that finally reunite and be happy again. It is not. East Germany went from one day to the next from the most protective to the most open economy and east Germans were seen to be inferior and faced a lot of discrimination in funding. Many East German companies had to close. Even companies like Elsterglanz that had no west German compared company as competition. Workers from east Germany were paid less, and had to travel every day to west Germany for work. They received lower retirement money for doing the same job. East Germans were underrepresented in German politics. The east German economy never recovered and a lot did not feel integrated in Germany. Many made a protest vote to show they disapprove them being ignored and hence East Germany was seen many Germans a Nazi Shithole place.
I am not saying I agree with who they voted, but I can understand that they feel confused the government expects refugees to integrate while they them self don't feel integrated. Calling them Racist to shut them up will not solve this problem. That the AFD (the racist party many vote) spreading fake news articles does not really help this issue. All politicians of all sides are here at fault.
But other factors like psychology of becoming less represented comes into play.
fear mongering
Often the most loudest news playing on peoples fears or scandals are the most heard. Fact is there is no evidence that Trump colluded with Russia and there still is no evidence. Loud conspiracy theorists took the stage of the news while more credible journalists were silenced out. Fear mongering like "the caravan is full of terrorists and rapists" is not based on facts but fears. Both sides are to blame. Meanwhile more analytic news were ignored. This is not news its reality TV.
algorythms
One thing about Steem that I like that the content you see first is not rated by its content. Facebook does. In Steem I am constantly facing debates with people of opposite opinion. Also means that people need to learn not to immediately swear and counter the person with respect. I seen a lot of people trying to question the other persons opinions but being countered with "fuck you" or "are you retarded". People have been on Facebook for so long they have forgotten how it is to talk to someone of a different opinion. This is why Facebook has no dislike button. They have forgotten how to counter opinions with respect. Remember these are humans you are talking with. This criticism is for people of all opinions as I see it not only on one side.
Are you against or for?
Simplifications like these make a complex topic into a black and white topic. As an example I am not happy how people simply protest against all nuclear power. There are different types of nuclear reactors with a different waste volume and some with a waste half life short enough to store in an abandoned salt mine, without the fear of leaking. Are you for or against deportation of refugees? Simplification again as this question does not distinguish between refugees that show clear intention of integrating in our society and refugees that bring with them conflicts. As it is right now we deport refugees that found work and speak German and are fully integrated. If I try to speak up about it to make a distinction I get censored.
US politics revolves around simplifications where there are 2 sides and each side takes an opposite stance to the other on every topic, they call that Republicans and Democrats. The divide of the country comes only natural.
I think this article contains a lot of points that will be painful truths for many people, no matter if you are left or right, up or down in the political spectrum. Don't let them censor me.
Like Share Subscribe
Comment if you think I missed a form of censorship.
Excellent article, my friend! You have covered a wide range of topics, with examples from all over the world. Great job!
I see you are still trying to get yourself noticed around here. Try to engage a lot with other users in comments. That worked well for me. 😉
Keep up with the good work!
Nice to see that sense of humour back! 😆
Curated for #informationwar (by @thoughts-in-time)
Ways you can help the @informationwar!
yes great article and i agree with trincowski
leave replies to people and you will get noticed and get a lot more people reading your posts
great fantastic post youve made here
cheers
You have been flagged. Good day.