16Censorship is it a curse or a blessing

16. Censorship: a curse or a blessing?

Censorship is the removal of information from the public, or the prevention of circulation of information, where it is desired or felt best by some controlling group or body that others are not allowed to access the information which is being censored. Typically censorship is undertaken by governments or by established bodies (religions or the mass media) although self-censorship and other forms also exist. Censorship of some forms of sensitive information, such as commercial secrets and intellectual property, official secrets, and legal privilege, are not usually described as censorship, provided that they remain within bounds which are recognized in general as being reasonable. For this reason, the term "censorship" often carries with it a sense of inappropriate or repressive secrecy as opposed to a reasonable and expected level.

Censorship is closely tied in as a concept with freedom of speech and other forms of human expression, and when tightly exercised is often connected with human rights and abuse, dictatorships and repression.

Censorship is often used as a pejorative term to signify a belief by the speaker that some group controlling certain information is using this control improperly or for its own benefit, or not allowing others access to information the speaker believes should be made readily accessible (often for oversight purposes, to verify the conclusions drawn).

The rationale for censorship is different for various types of data censored. There are five main types:

• Moral censorship is the means by which any material that contains what the censor deems to be of questionable morality is removed. The censoring body disapproves of what it deems to be the values behind the material and limits access to it. Pornography, for example, is often censored under this rationale

• Military censorship is the process of keeping military intelligence and tactics confidential and away from the enemy. In wartime, explicit censorship is carried out with the intent of preventing the release of information that might be useful to an enemy.

• Political censorship occurs when governments conceal secrets from their citizens.

• Religious censorship is the means by which any material objectionable to a certain faith is removed.

• Corporate censorship is the process by which editors in corporate media outlets intervene to halt the publishing of information that portrays their business or business partners in a negative light.