In the current digital age, censorship has become increasingly popular. Continuous efforts exist to define the boundaries of free speech, which is a right that all should enjoy. However, many have abused it to sow malice. It is often used to spread hate speech and misinformation.
Global Responses to Misinformation:
It is worth knowing that countries like Brazil, China, Iran, North Korea, Myanmar, and Russia currently have social platforms like Facebook banned in their countries, as they believe that social platforms are not doing enough to curb or reduce misinformation on their platforms.
The impact of this regulation has forced several social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to institute algorithms and programs aimed at applying some level of filters to contents posted on their platforms. Other platforms like X, initially called Twitter, and YouTube now add notes to posts on sensitive topics like Climate Change and Global politics, amongst others, to provide the reader with a broader context to sensitive issues to promote truthful reporting and bias.
The Impact On Journalists and Writers:
While many, journalists and writers have hailed this have constantly been on the losing end as the radar is now turning from truthful reporting to filtering reports to match a given set of standards and interests.
Countries like France, Austria, and Germany have active laws prohibiting “Holocaust Denial”. What this means is that writers or journalists cannot make stories on the Holocaust nor advocate for the ideology in any of their reports. This, amongst many, creates a legitimate issue as to what the boundaries of free speech should be.
Maintaining Creative Integrity:
Maintaining your creative integrity while at the same time dealing with censorship is a very important subject for writers in this modern age. Below are three sure ways to achieve that:
1. Adopting A Creative Personal Editorial Guidelines:
Adopting a personalized editorial guideline that maximizes your artistic integrity in a way that adheres to internal policies within your area of operation. This helps to produce stories and editorials on sensitive topics without fear of censorship.
2. Use Of Alternative Expression Methods Another proven means of maintaining creative integrity in the face of censorship is to use alternative expression methods like metaphors, allegories, and symbolism. This provides a platform for providing social commentaries and freely expressing oneself while avoiding censorship.
3. Experimenting New Channels for Writers While traditional platforms usually tend to largely censor content, modern writers do not need to rely on traditional publishing channels. Independent publishing platforms, personal websites, and specialized communities offer alternatives for sharing work that might face restrictions elsewhere. This diversification strategy helps writers maintain creative control while reaching their intended audience.
From social trends, it’s increasingly clear that censorship has come to stay and will only worsen with time. Creative writers will require adaptability, awareness, and strategic planning to maintain their relevance and impact. Until the topic of censorship is redefined globally to protect readers against misinformation and hate speech instead of limiting the creativity of writers and being used as a tool to ensure social bias, there is an increasing need for writers to adopt a more adaptive approach to maintain their creative control.
References
United Nations. (1948). Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Retrieved from UN.org
Pew Research Center. (2020). The Role of Social Media in Misinformation. Retrieved from PewResearch.org
Creative Commons. (2020). Alternative Copyright Models for Creators: The Power of Metaphors and Symbolism. Retrieved from CreativeCommons.org
The Independent. (2021). Why Independent Publishing is on the Rise. Retrieved from Independent.co.uk
Reporters Without Borders. (2022). World Press Freedom Index. Retrieved from RSF.org
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Confronting Censorship in Creative Writing: Solutions for Unrestricted Expression
by Issac Quainoo
Image Credit: Red Bubble
In the current digital age, censorship has become increasingly popular. Continuous efforts exist to define the boundaries of free speech, which is a right that all should enjoy. However, many have abused it to sow malice. It is often used to spread hate speech and misinformation.
Global Responses to Misinformation:
It is worth knowing that countries like Brazil, China, Iran, North Korea, Myanmar, and Russia currently have social platforms like Facebook banned in their countries, as they believe that social platforms are not doing enough to curb or reduce misinformation on their platforms.
The impact of this regulation has forced several social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to institute algorithms and programs aimed at applying some level of filters to contents posted on their platforms. Other platforms like X, initially called Twitter, and YouTube now add notes to posts on sensitive topics like Climate Change and Global politics, amongst others, to provide the reader with a broader context to sensitive issues to promote truthful reporting and bias.
The Impact On Journalists and Writers:
While many, journalists and writers have hailed this have constantly been on the losing end as the radar is now turning from truthful reporting to filtering reports to match a given set of standards and interests.
Countries like France, Austria, and Germany have active laws prohibiting “Holocaust Denial”. What this means is that writers or journalists cannot make stories on the Holocaust nor advocate for the ideology in any of their reports. This, amongst many, creates a legitimate issue as to what the boundaries of free speech should be.
Maintaining Creative Integrity:
Maintaining your creative integrity while at the same time dealing with censorship is a very important subject for writers in this modern age. Below are three sure ways to achieve that:
1. Adopting A Creative Personal Editorial Guidelines:
Adopting a personalized editorial guideline that maximizes your artistic integrity in a way that adheres to internal policies within your area of operation. This helps to produce stories and editorials on sensitive topics without fear of censorship.
2. Use Of Alternative Expression Methods
Another proven means of maintaining creative integrity in the face of censorship is to use alternative expression methods like metaphors, allegories, and symbolism. This provides a platform for providing social commentaries and freely expressing oneself while avoiding censorship.
3. Experimenting New Channels for Writers
While traditional platforms usually tend to largely censor content, modern writers do not need to rely on traditional publishing channels. Independent publishing platforms, personal websites, and specialized communities offer alternatives for sharing work that might face restrictions elsewhere. This diversification strategy helps writers maintain creative control while reaching their intended audience.
From social trends, it’s increasingly clear that censorship has come to stay and will only worsen with time. Creative writers will require adaptability, awareness, and strategic planning to maintain their relevance and impact. Until the topic of censorship is redefined globally to protect readers against misinformation and hate speech instead of limiting the creativity of writers and being used as a tool to ensure social bias, there is an increasing need for writers to adopt a more adaptive approach to maintain their creative control.
References
United Nations. (1948). Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Retrieved from UN.org
Pew Research Center. (2020). The Role of Social Media in Misinformation. Retrieved from PewResearch.org
Creative Commons. (2020). Alternative Copyright Models for Creators: The Power of Metaphors and Symbolism. Retrieved from CreativeCommons.org
The Independent. (2021). Why Independent Publishing is on the Rise. Retrieved from Independent.co.uk
Reporters Without Borders. (2022). World Press Freedom Index. Retrieved from RSF.org
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