Governments asking or suggesting that media companies suppress a story, with the companies choosing to comply of their own free will, is nothing new. This is how most media censorship in the US and UK worked during WW2. Governments would explain to a newspaper or broadcast company that suppressing a story was in earnest best interest of the nation and the media company would usually comply voluntarily because they felt it was the right thing to do. There's a good argument to be made that this kind of thing really is good and proper; the government asking newspapers to stay quiet about D-Day preparations, and newspapers voluntarily complying, probably saved many lives.
But I'm worried. I fear that governments flexing this kind of soft power over media companies now in recent years is a sign of the times. I am afraid that governments see major wars on the horizon and that's why they're dusting off their old bag of tricks and asking the new tech sort of media companies to get ready to respond to censorship requests when the time comes. So it's not the wartime suppression of information that worries me the most, but rather the upcoming war it hints at.
Edit: If anybody can talk me down from this fear, I would sincerely appreciate it.
Governments asking or suggesting that media companies suppress a story, with the companies choosing to comply of their own free will, is nothing new.
What is new is that "media companies" now includes social media. I.e. what used to be real-life gossip has moved online, and been subjected to censorship. I should caution that it's not only government interference to fear - we don't want our public sphere to be moderated by giant corporations either.
it isn't secret plans for war that are the concern but civil unrest. the problem is that you can't legislate peaceful coexistence. you have to actively encourage it through open conversation between the different groups.
we need more interreligious and interpolitical dialogue at every level of society. we need to actively encourage everyone to listen to the concerns of others. this doesn't happen by itself. it requires the creation of offline spaces and forums open to everyone where people can meet and interact and are invited and encouraged to do so without prejudice.
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Governments asking or suggesting that media companies suppress a story, with the companies choosing to comply of their own free will, is nothing new. This is how most media censorship in the US and UK worked during WW2. Governments would explain to a newspaper or broadcast company that suppressing a story was in earnest best interest of the nation and the media company would usually comply voluntarily because they felt it was the right thing to do. There's a good argument to be made that this kind of thing really is good and proper; the government asking newspapers to stay quiet about D-Day preparations, and newspapers voluntarily complying, probably saved many lives.
But I'm worried. I fear that governments flexing this kind of soft power over media companies now in recent years is a sign of the times. I am afraid that governments see major wars on the horizon and that's why they're dusting off their old bag of tricks and asking the new tech sort of media companies to get ready to respond to censorship requests when the time comes. So it's not the wartime suppression of information that worries me the most, but rather the upcoming war it hints at.
Edit: If anybody can talk me down from this fear, I would sincerely appreciate it.
What is new is that "media companies" now includes social media. I.e. what used to be real-life gossip has moved online, and been subjected to censorship. I should caution that it's not only government interference to fear - we don't want our public sphere to be moderated by giant corporations either.
it isn't secret plans for war that are the concern but civil unrest. the problem is that you can't legislate peaceful coexistence. you have to actively encourage it through open conversation between the different groups.
we need more interreligious and interpolitical dialogue at every level of society. we need to actively encourage everyone to listen to the concerns of others. this doesn't happen by itself. it requires the creation of offline spaces and forums open to everyone where people can meet and interact and are invited and encouraged to do so without prejudice.