Is it possible to have effective censorship at a time when people can so easily access banned material? It is very doubtful if censorship could be an easy task. Censors are rapidly losing their authority to influence people and events because censorship is no longer the effective tool it once was. In the past, censors enjoyed considerable power since they could easily control what people read and saw. With the Internet, satellite TV and other modern means of communication, it is now easy for people to access a site and read newspapers and magazines which may be banned. In addition, readers can now access major libraries where the contents of millions of books and other publications are available on the Internet for a very small charge.
To what extent can governments exercise censorship with any hope of depriving readers of information? Recently, Pakistan banned Newsweek because, according to the Pakistanis, it contained sensitive religious material. Such a ban can be understood for religious reasons but not for political ones. The result of the banning was of course that many who ordinarily would not have read the magazine rushed to the online edition to read what was banned. Though the censor managed to keep the article from some readers, his act encouraged many others to find the article from other sources. Even those who had little interest in the magazine looked for it because of the ban.
Of course, we would not imagine allowing a publication with blasphemous material to enter the country. This means the authorities in Pakistan did the right thing but, at the same time, many people were encouraged to look for the banned material. It is the dilemma that faces an authority which knows that whatever is banned will soon find its way into many people’s hands.
Parents face a similar situation when they attempt to define for children the kind of books and magazines allowed in the house, the television channels and programs to be watched and what Internet sites the children can access. Many children, however, outsmart their parents and manage to look at what their parents disapprove of. It is actually very difficult for parents to be censors for their children in the 21st century.
Censorship can still be effective to some extent but its influence and benefits are very limited, and may even push people into defying the censor. Self-censorship can be an effective deterrent since it comes from within rather than from without.
