Television Censorship

Television Censorship

Censorship is a counterintelligence achieved by banning or deleting any information of value to the enemy. Censorship is suppression of speech or other communication which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient to the general body of people as determined by a government, media outlet, or other controlling body. Censorship is a control of the information and ideas circulated within a society -- has been a hallmark of dictatorships throughout history. In the 20th Century, censorship was achieved through the examination of books, plays, films, television and radio programs, news reports, and other forms of communication for the purpose of altering or suppressing ideas found to be objectionable or offensive. The rationales for censorship have varied, with some censors targeting material deemed to be indecent or obscene; heretical or blasphemous; or seditious or treasonous. Thus, ideas have been suppressed under the guise of protecting three basic social institutions: the family, the church, and the state.

TV Censorship is adults viewing what children are watching on TV, and how it affects them. My friends and I would like to inform you about the dangers of Television Programs.

Censorship in India mainly targets religious issues. The Constitution of India guarantees freedom of expression but places certain restrictions on content, with a view towards maintaining communal and religious harmony, given the history of communal tension in the nation.

The report Freedom in the World 2006 by Freedom House gave India a political rights rating of 2, and a civil liberties rating of 3, earning it the designation of free

Television Censorship has a bad impact on children:

Practically, however, other matters must be taken into account. Audiences are comprised of a number of social groups, not all of whom wish to have the broader choice, preferring the screen to be free of profanity, sex and violence from the off. Those groups might include the elderly and those too young to make a formative decision.

The argument might be that the very young have their parents to decide what they should be watching but in fact this is not always the case: some parents are still working when their children arrive home from school and switch on the television. Such people are therefore dependent on the Censorship Board for a sensible compromise when it comes to admissible programming.

Children are the most vulnerable members of the viewing public. One the television is switched on and a program is being viewed, few children will turn to another channel if the program being aired is unsuitable. Prurient content is almost irresistible to any child and even if it is scary, the child might remain glued to the screen until the program is ended, by which time the damage is done.

The group most supportive of a total censorship ban are the twenty and thirty-something; young professionals and students who have a hunger for a daily diet of the uncensored and uncut.

The problem, of course, is one of degree. How far should censorship be allowed to monitor and control those whose goal in life is to shock audiences with panoply of gore; terror; porn; torture and sleaze? Some argue that such programming should be admissible on certain channel settings, which of course could be closely supervised by parents or guardians. The sad fact is, however, that many irresponsible individuals with a parental role neglect this aspect of raising their children and often kids are left to decide for themselves whether a program is suitable or not.

Limit how long your child watches television. You may even want to limit your on TV watching time. Spend time doing things besides sitting on the couch. According to many pediatricians and different studies it is usually recommended that children younger than 2 years old should not watch any television at all. Children two or older should only watch TV for two hours a day. Also, don't put a TV in your child's bedroom because they will want to watch television instead of sleeping.

Always make sure the volume isn't too loud or they can damage their hearing. Also, make sure your child doesn't sit right in front of the TV. Frequently sitting too close to a TV can also hurt your child's eye permanently. Also, don't have the room too dark or that can hurt their eyes. There should be light on in the room with the TV.

A big issue with watching too much TV is that is leads to obesity. If your child just sits and eats while watching the television and doesn't get any exercise, they may gain weight. It's okay for your children to watch TV as long as they also go outside and/or stay active.

Watch TV with your children and explain things to them. Young children probably don't understand the difference between commercials and shows. Kids may also not understand some of the things that are happening in the show. Take the time to talk to them and explain things to them

Some pros and cons of Television Censorship:

Pros
The benefits of media censorship include the protection of young children and the filtration of obscene content. Media censorship also helps prevent hate groups and other similar organizations aiming to spread hate speech or related propaganda.

Cons
Not everyone has the same idea of what images and ideas are appropriate for dissemination. Governments and media conglomerates can use censorship to distort facts or hide truths from ordinary citizens. In some countries, dictators use censorship to further their own agendas while squashing those of the opposition.

Latest Television censorship

MTV India was hit with what is known as a 'show cause' notice for allegedly denigrating women in its reality show Splitsvilla, while news channel IBN-7 was accused of 'encouraging superstition' by reporting that the gods Lord Ram and Hanuman had appeared in a ball of fire in Malaysia. Meanwhile, Headlines Today, another news channel, raised hackles for celebrating the 62nd anniversary of the invention of the bikini in a report branded 'objectionable and indecent'.

All three have been given 15 days by the government's Information and Broadcasting Ministry to justify their actions. If their explanations are not accepted, they could be taken off the air or forced to run grovelling apologies on screen. Last year a fashion channel was temporarily closed down after it was judged to have stepped over the line.

Opponents of censorship are bewildered by the arbitrary nature of the bans. Praful Bidwai, a political commentator and human rights activist, said the Indian state was naturally prone to censorship. 'Their motto is, if in doubt, ban it,' he said. 'It is outrageous in some respects, but the bureaucracy is so bloody-minded. There is a lot of prudery and hypocrisy in this society. Until a few years ago even a kiss was banned in Indian films, and there was a commission of inquiry to decide whether kissing was part of Indian culture.'

India has a contradictory attitude to sex and religion. Bollywood is all gyrating hips and seductive dances, with the wet sari scenes that leave very little to the imagination a must for many directors; pictures of scantily clad women and smoldering men adorn the pages of the daily papers. At the same time, religious imagery is ubiquitous and no car on India's roads is complete without a handful of icons on the dashboard.

Yet when television channels showed footage of the actor Richard Gere kissing Bollywood and reality TV star Shilpa Shetty in public last year, they were accused of committing an obscene act in public and effigies of the pair were burnt in the streets. The latest clampdown comes at a time when reality TV shows have never been more popular in India. The Indian version of Big Brother - Bigg Boss - is drawing huge audiences. And despite - or maybe because of - India's reticence on the subject of sex, there is no question that the shows are deliberately pushing the boundaries. MTV's Splitsvilla show was certainly never going to win any prizes for good taste. The publicity shot for the show features two bare-chested hunks, bound in thick ropes and surrounded by a gaggle of nubile young women in various states of undress. One appears to be brandishing a riding crop.

Every week the women do battle for the attentions of the men, strategically deploying whatever assets nature has bestowed on them as they seek to gain the upper hand, whether that means belly dancing or giving the men a rub down in the hot tub. 'Splitsvilla - where love is war,' the slogan says, but it is the government that has now declared war on the show



Need of TV censorship:

Recently this has again been announced by authorities in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, including the Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification, Anupam Kher. There has even been an indication that the Cable Television Networks Act will be used to prohibit cable networks from carrying programmes that are considered objectionable.

The reason why this comes up again and again is obvious. Television is now a part of the consciousness of millions of households throughout the country, particularly the young, who spend hours watching a variety of programmes. It is impossible for parents to keep monitoring what they watch, and even if they do, how would they ensure that their proscriptions are being followed? And all the while the numerous television channels are showing films, serials and other programmes some of which contain sequences or events or shots that would be considered offensive or unacceptable by many.

Yet the problems that face any attempt to censor television programmes are numerous and formidable. For one thing, it becomes controversial if censorship is aimed at adult viewers. The assumption behind any attempt to do that is that adults need to be protected from violent or sexually explicit scenes because if they are not, they may go berserk and indulge in looting, murder and rape. This assumption angers, and with reason, a large number of people. Who, they argue, are these arbiters of good taste? Who are these people who have a greater sensitivity and creative perception than other people, who have the wisdom and insight to decide what people should or should not see? `Social workers', who sometimes have an IQ of 40 or thereabouts and are on the panel of censors only because of their political connections? Political workers, many of whom have criminal cases ranging from murder to rape to fraud against them?

This is not an easy argument to counter. The lists of those on the panel of censors in each regional office of the Central Board of Film Certification will not stand up to scrutiny of the most cursory kind, though among the names one may come across one or two who are rational and sensible; but nonetheless, not people whose views filmmakers and producers of serials and entertainment shows will necessarily accept without question.

But let us look first at the situation as it is. There are few programmes that can be said to contain gratuitous violence or explicit sex; some English films shown on certain channels may have some sequences that Indian films would not usually have, but even they are careful about such matters - for example the f... . words are bleeped out in all films, and violent sequences cut down. Indian serials have little by way of violence and steamy sex; there may be relationships that may be considered socially unusual, to put it mildly, but that is about all one gets. There is far more violence in cartoons; just watch what happens to Tom in a Tom and Jerry cartoon and you will see violence on a scale you cannot even imagine. He is run over by a steamroller, put in a washing machine, and, in one memorable sequence, is grinning with satisfaction when a golf ball smashes through his teeth as if they were made of glass.

So there is some kind of self-censorship; one may not be very happy with it but it is there. The question is, since it is there, must we have any other kind of censorship, by a public body, which will determine the content of programmes? The answer to this is that we should. There is no point in saying that no one can sit in judgment on a creative filmmaker or a producer of a serial. Most filmmakers do need someone to sit in judgment over what they make, because they make these programmes for money and put in not gratuitous violence but enough violence and sexually suggestive shots to make their products saleable. And this becomes all the more urgent when it comes to television, to which the young are addicted more than one imagines.

One may not call it censorship, because the word tends to be associated with the censoring of ideas and information. But whatever one calls it, the fact is it is unavoidable and necessary. The Report on Culture and Development submitted to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) says, in part, "All countries and cultures have struggled to define the line where freedom ends and license begins. Standards of decency, respect for others and self-restraint vary from one country to another and from one period to another. While all forms of censorship must be avoided, nowhere is freedom unqualified and allowed to operate regardless of the consequences." (Emphasis added.)

Negative effects of television censorship:

While television is a major source of entertainment the content depicted including violence and adult content in television can have negative effects on the viewers. Many children end up watching television even before they start school and so television has a huge impact on their impressionable minds. Even infants and toddlers watch around 2 hours of television per day. For kids under the age of 6 the time spent in front of the television is also around 2 hours while kids and teens tend to spend as much as 4 hours in front of the television besides spending some time at the computer. Television can be used to impart education where children learn the alphabet but as they grow older they tend to spend far too much time and this in turn interferes with their normal activities such as playing with friends, reading and doing homework.

Bad effects of television include:

• The violence depicted on television has a desensitization effect on the children. On an average American children witness around 200000 acts of violence in television by the time they turn 18. This makes them less sensitive and increases their aggressiveness since this television violence is often portrayed to be fun and acceptable. E.g.: A child may think it is perfectly alright for a man to hit another person because his favorite character did that.

• Television also portrays certain topics rather brazenly when in fact these issues need to be dealt with care and sensitivity. Sex, substance abuse and other important issues are not handled and depicted with a great deal of maturity on television and this in turn can end up giving out the wrong message. E.g: A program objectifying women and portraying them as sex objects may end up giving the wrong message to youngsters.

• Advertisements such as those promoting alcohol and cigarettes have resulted in a large number of youngsters indulging in their consumption.

• One of the biggest ill effects of television is that it has contributed to increasing obesity among people. While watching television people tend to consume large amounts of unhealthy food items such as chips and soft drinks. Television is only promoting the sedentary lifestyle that people follow and this in turn has contributed to obesity.

• Commercials on television are directed towards marketing toys and other items for the kids and these are responsible to a certain extent to the wrong habits and wrong choices that children tend to make.

• Some research studies indicate that television is responsible for hampering the development of some areas of the brain that are in control of moral judgment and also attention. That is why many studies also seek to link the relationship between attention and comprehension problems and television.

• Television may also affect relationships between families since it may not allow family members to spend quality time with each other. It may also stop people from following other good habits like reading books and socializing.

Who Does Television censorship affect:

Does censorship affect both minors and adults? One incident in Ohio led a mother of a 5 year old boy to believe so. The boy's mother attributed his actions to the influence of the popular MTV cartoon show Beavis and Butthead. In response to watching this cartoon the boy set his house on fire which killed his younger sister. In response to criticism about the show's violence and appeal to younger viewers, MTV moved the cartoon to a later time slot, to prevent young children from viewing it (Microsoft Internet Explorer).

In another incident a teen-aged boy was killed and two others seriously injured while lying down along the centerline of a highway. The boys were imitating a scene from the movie The Program. The accident and the publicity that followed prompted Touchstone films to remove the scene from the movie, but leaving many other violent scenes, including one in which a student purposely smashes his head through a car window (Microsoft Internet Explorer).

Not only children but perhaps an "impressionable adult" for whatever reason could feel moved to commit these same acts of violence that are portrayed on uncensored movies and television. Many of these movies contain countless instances of torture and unnatural suffering, mass killings and ethnic persecution. Some of these same crimes are being committed as we speak by minors and adults all over the world. Who is to say that people are not influenced by viewing a movie that lacked proper censorship? what are some of the guidelines that govern television censorship? film industry guidelines.

"One US industry, the film industry has for many years practiced a form of self-censorship. In the 1920's, responding to public demands for strong controls, the Motion Picture Association of America imposed on its constituents a Production Act; compliance with its standards gave a movie a seal of approval. A system of film classification was begun in 1968 and has been revised several times since then. Films are given ratings, as follows: G (general audiences), PG (Parental Guidance advised), PG-13 (may not be suitable for pre-teens), R (persons under age 17 not admitted unless accompanied by parent or adult guardian), and NC-17 (persons under age 17 not admitted, replaced the X rating in 1990) (Microsoft Encarta 95)".

"For the television and radio industries the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has generally established vague rules about program content containing an implied threat that a license can be revoked for repeated poor judgment involving program content. In 1987 the FCC responded to public complaints by adopting measures to restrict the use of explicit language about sex and bodily functions from the broadcasting media. Another code, designed by the National Association of Broadcasters, is voluntarily adhered to by station operators. The major networks also have their own self-regulating system. The Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), for example, has a staff of people who review scripts and watch everything that is aired on CBS-TV, including commercials; every contract with a producer provides that the project is subject to approval under this system (Microsoft Encarta 95)."

Viewers welcome push of late night reality shows:

Channels should telecast Bigg Boss and Rakhi Ka Insaaf only after 11 pm has been welcomed by industry watchers and television viewers alike.

“The level of voyeurism on TV these days is appealing. Reality shows like Bigg Boss, Rakhi Ka Insaaf and Emotional Atyachaar are creating a scary and twisted trend with their crude content and abusive language. It is high time the government stepped in to regulate the broadcasting of shows,” said school teacher Neha Mehra.

But opinions differ on what is appropriate. “Anything that you cannot sit and watch comfortably with your family is objectionable,” said chartered accountant Rajeev Kumar, who admitted that he watches Emotional Atyachaar alone when his children are asleep. Actress Sambhavna Seth, a former Bigg Boss contestant, feels that “bedroom scenes are fine and bathroom scenes are not” and “a couple of derogatory words are okay while hardcore cuss words are not”.

Industry watchers, however, feel that television channels are going overboard in the race for TRPs. “They will go to any extent to attract more viewers,” said Congress leader and former Bigg Boss contestant Sanjay Nirupam. He added that while it is important to check obscenity and vulgar content on primetime television, it is not enough that shows with adult content are broadcast at a particular time slot.

However, the big question here is: who gets to decide what is obscene and what is not? Nirupam suggested that there should be a regulatory board set up for the sole purpose of monitoring the content of television shows. “With both the public and private sectors struggling to take control of television channels, the need of the hour is to set up a board that is independent of government control just like we have the Trai [Telecom Regulatory Authority of India] in the telecom sector.”

However, not many are convinced that TV shows need external censorship. “These shows are popular because audiences enjoy voyeurism and channels seem to have done their homework. I am sure those who make a noise about censoring reality shows watch them in the privacy of their homes,” said Dale Bhagwagar, publicist of actor Ashmit Patel, one of the contestants on the current season of Bigg Boss.

Insiders feel there is some amount of self-censorship and sense of responsibility in the television industry. “All the episodes of Bigg Boss are ruthlessly edited. The channel does not show even half of the so-called objectionable footage,” said Seth.

Value of Television censorship:

Television censorship is more valuable than ever before. While more and more mothers are heading to work, children are left with the television to keep them occupied. They are picking up words and actions that they would not normally be exposed to.

Even though we say that it is bad to have the television raising our children, we do it anyway. On one hand, you can blame the parents and on the other you can put the blame on the television networks. In reality, everyone is to blame and no one is taking the blame. We should have more censorship on television and parents should also keep their children from constantly watching television. Unfortunately, there is no realistic solution, because the parents have to work and the network executives must make money. Television seems to be the perfect solution for everyone except the children. We are allowing our children to watch many things that we would not sit down and actually watch ourselves.

Censorship Issues:

The problem is many governments or dominant cultural institutions can, and often do, go to extremes in limiting what information people are allowed to access. Keeping the Peace Few would argue that someone should be allowed to yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater when there is no fire. Such a situation would clearly lead to chaos and potential injury or death. Laws restricting such behavior is a limitation of what people are allowed to say in public.

Threats and Hate Speech

Threats of violence and hate speech are two other fundamental ways that people's speech is censored. Threats are considered by many governments to be equal with acts of violence whether they are directed at officials or members of the general public. Countries such as Germany also place strict limitations on hate speech in an effort to avoid repetitions of terrible events such as the Holocaust.

Sex

Governments and religious institutions often place varying limitations on sexually explicit depictions in books, movies and other media. Some such limitations follow the assumption of harm against people. For example, child pornography is illegal in all forms in the United States. However, many governments require ratings on movies and television programs based on sexual content leading to a form of "soft censorship" where film producers are either required to edit out sexual content or face economic limitations that go along with trying to distribute a movie with a certain rating.

Violence and strong language

Similar to issues related to sex, governmental and religious institutions regularly place limitations on the level of this type of content that certain people may have access to. Many times limitations are described as an effort to avoid harm to children. For example, video games with particularly graphic depictions of violence will be made unavailable to people under a certain age. Threats of regulation can also inspire an industry to regulate itself.

Control

Censorship is a key tool used by governments to control what political and other sensitive information members of the public may have access to. An extreme example is the government of China, which places restrictions on what types of information, is available to the general public. Political dissent is strictly repressed as is information about such dissent. China is known for filtering what websites are accessible by computers within the country. Officials claim this is done to maintain peace and stability in their society

Reference

http://gilc.org/speech/osistudy/censorship/index.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?Television-Censorship&id=2301107
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/24/india.television
http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2121/stories/20041022001508800.htm
http://www.essaysample.com/essay/002243.html