Backgrounder

Censorship is the practice of examining published materials and suppressing any materials deemed "unacceptable". This gives control of the information circulating in a society to one dominant power holder. The most reoccurring sources of censorship are: Moral, Military, Political, Religious and Corporate. Censorship is a violation of human rights; this interruption in freedom of speech is most concerning in China. The Communist Party of China (CPC) exercises censorship in order to keep the country's power within the government. 

 China has blocked news broadcasts, websites, books, music, and the liberty to speak freely. Searching “black words” such as: Democracy, Tienanmen Square, Taiwan, Tibet, Human Rights and Egypt can be considered a criminal offence and any one in violation can spend up to 10yrs in jail. This censorship helps prevent protesters or reformists from voicing their opinions. China has put a massive cultural value on success and business growth. Because of this, China has censored everything from food safety problems to the country's restricting laws.

The censorship in china is a complex issue that comes with many layers. The filters built into society prevent any discovery of government’s failures or violations of rights. Web sites in China are required to employ people who monitor and delete objectionable content as well as "guide" bulletin board Web exchanges in the government's favour. It is most likely that the people of China are unaware of the intense censor they face daily. Although there have been attempts to bring attention to this heavy subject, the tight reins held by the government have continued to overpower all else. The CPC implicates a diverse range of methods to induce journalists to censor themselves rather than risk punishment. The more the people fear their government, the less likely there is of a revolution. Strategies include jailing, fines and demotions. Authorities also sue journalists for breaching topics that are labeled as private matter. It is not uncommon for journalists who overstep boundaries to be imprisoned. As of December 2010, China was tied with Iran for the most jailed journalists in a single country.

 

Overall, the great firewall of china has let the CPC mandate censorship for a very long time. But as the contemporary issue of cyberspace seeps into the picture; China's right to freedom of speech remains uncertain.