About censorship and freedom of speech

Over the last few years, the topic of censorship in the media has become more and more an issue of public interest. Meanwhile it is well known that countries like China or North Korea, for example, make big efforts to hold back information which the respective government considers to be harmful in a specific manner. The question is: can censorship always be seen as bad or are there circumstances where restrictions to the freedom of speech might be appropriate?

In a democracy it should be possible for every member of society to speak one´s mind without fear of punishment. As long as this personal opinion is not insulting the feelings or believes of others. This right is written down in many constitutions and is called ‘Freedom of Speech’. This also includes, of course, the media and its function to provide people with the latest information about what´s happening in the world around them. In fact censorship must not suppress issues which might be important for people and thus have an impact on their life. Freedom of speech is also an important instrument within a society as it enables people to criticise openly and helps forming different opinions about current issues. It gives people the chance to look more critical at happenings around them and to take a position. Probably the best example for that is the range of political parties in many countries; not to mention all the different religious groups.

In contrast it has to be said that freedom of speech also has limits. As mentioned before, the right to say an opinion should not be used as an excuse to offend others; neither single persons nor whole groups. Censorship is then appropriate when it helps to keep law and order within a democracy. Thus it is necessary to restrict illegal contents in certain types of media which cannot be controlled otherwise, for example racist propaganda, violence and child pornography in the internet. In this case an appropriate censorship can help to keep offensive writings and criminal offences at bay, which is a big step to protect our children.

In fact the main problem with restrictions in the media is not the question how it is done but which kind of information should be restricted. Within a democracy with a well defined law system, it might be easier to find answers to that question, but there often remains a certain kind of uncertainty whether censorship is right or wrong.