Cold War Propganda & McCarthyism

 During a period of time directly after World War 2, Senator Joe McCarthy began to make a name for himself. Not for any policies or lawss, but for false accusations and claims made with 0 evidence. This practice was deemed "McCarthyism". McCarthyism is defined as "a campaign or practice that endorses  the use of unfair allegations and invesigations" which McCarthy performed through the late 1940s and 50s. 

This time period was also called the Second Red Scare from the way McCarthy used his poisiton of power to use American's fear against them. Propaganda was spewed and published during this time constantly. In order to add fire to the flame that was the Cold War, he preyed on America's fear of Communism. During multiple speeches and press releases, McCarthy would claim there were 80 members of the government that were undercover Communists. This caused distrust in local, state, and nationwide governments as he never mentioned any names, only numbers. These numbers would change each time he gave an adress to the general public to keep them scared and listening to his every word. 

While McCarthy is remebered for targeting memebrs of different branches of the government, actors in Hollywood were also suspects of being undercover Communists. Going after celebrities caused individuals to be "blacklisted" from working in the tv and film industry ever again. Similarily, in towns, Americans were accusing their neighbors and coworkers of being Communists. Each and every claim had little to no substantial evidence, so it is rumored some claims may have came out of spite or disdain for the individual.

The blind faith people had in him led him to be reelected in 1952 much to the dismay of other mebers of the government.  McCarthy led public invesigations and hearings which led peopke to lose their jobs and be shamed depsite him having no evidence whatsoever.  His Second Red Scare began to lose favor with the American people when he turned to the military and tried to "expose" Communist soldiers and officers. The critique of the military led people he interviewed, and those that watched, to question his morality along with commentary made by journalist Edward R Murrow. 

 Altough Senator McCarthy died in 1957 shortly after his downfall, his name lives in infamy through the term "McCarthyism" which is still used today in current politics. 

Sources: https://www.britannica.com/topic/McCarthyism

https://www.wnyc.org/story/joseph-r-mccarthy-a-speech-against-harry-s-truman/

Censorship in Film

 

Censorship: The Birth of a Nation

What is Censorship?

Censorship is when any part of a film, book, or event in the media is covered up because it is considered to be inappropriate and politically unacceptable. Censorship is extremely common in films where there are scenes that contain violence and sexual activity.

 

Example of Censorship

One example of censorship is from a film called “The Birth of a Nation.” The film came out in 1915 and is one of the most racist films that was ever created. In the film, the South was the focus and it showed how terrible life was back then for African Americans. It was an extremely disturbing film to watch, and many people had complaints. In the film, President Lincoln was assassinated by African Americans. Also, the actors were all white and wore black mask. Black mask is when people paint their faces black to resemble African Americans, which is extremely racist. There were two controversial scenes that people wanted to be censored. One of the scenes was when a white girl committed suicide to escape from an African American who was chasing after her. The other scene was when an African American politician tried to force marriage between the two races. The main group of people who called for these scenes to be censored was the NAACP (The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). With the ongoing persistence from the NAACP, there were several scenes within the film that were censored and taken out from the film’s release.

Sources

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/4966

Censorship Controlling the Media

 John Mercuri

    Censorship is picking and choosing what can and can't be shown online. The government has a say in this. As of recent times, we have seen loads of censorship. This has caused riots, loads of anger, and worse. The president of the United States was banned from social media for basically no reason at all. This goes to show that these private companies are using loopholes to censor the content they display. Every big social media platform is liberal owned and this may be a reason Donald Trump was banned from social media. The reasoning for people being banned are things such as: talking bad about the current government, coronavirus, or being racist. There are many other reasons but these seem to be the main ones. 

    While scrolling instagram or facebook, you see many posts that are flagged "untrue". Even if there is a video proof of the incident the "fact-checkers" flag the post and mark it false information. This is a form of censorship because it is actively lying to cover things up. We should all be scared that our first amendment rights are slowly dwindling right in front of our eyes. A democracy will never work if the media is censored in a way that keeps the mass in the dark from what is truly occuring.

Propaganda in Modern-Day America

John Mercuri     

    In today's society, whether you notice it or you don't, there is propaganda everywhere you look. Political leaders are on social media displaying hurtful and untruthful images of their opponents in efforts to tarnish their image. We saw this happening during the most recent election. In recent times, we have seen loads of propaganda trying to scare Americans. During COVID-19, there were billboards and news reports that misled people by sharing the wrong numbers. The governement used fear mongering tactics to force a shut down of our nation and require things like masks and vaccines. The vaccine has also been heavily pushed on the mass as "very safe." There have already been loads of deaths and diseases that arose from getting the vaccine. 

    Propaganda is a very dangerous tool used by governemnts and groups. A very important group right now is that of BLM. BLM started off as a movement with goals of restoring the rights and justices black people deserve. The creators of this "non-profit organization" just recently moved into a 3.5 million dollar house in LA. These people were using the hurt and vulnerability of the black community for their personal gain. This spun out of control in recent times as the group, who have a large social media following, focus on cancelling and spreading hate by rioting, looting, etc. They also make jokes that some would call racist. The group has caused an even bigger divide in our country and is continuously ruining what the black community has worked so long for.

    Another name we often hear in the news is ANTIFA, or Anti-Fascists. These are people who want to reak havoc on the nation and see a complete divide between races, social classes, etc. We see posts and comments on instagram from these people that pretend to be a supporter of one side. They spread hate and want to see the nation separated.

Controlling Society with the Power of Censorship

by Jordan Clanton

What is censorship? 

As a textbook definition, censorship is the suppression of information.  Commonly, it is used to prohibit parts of books, films or media that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable or a threat to security.   

Censorship can be broken down into many categories including political, government secrets, religion, economic, educational sources, self-censorship, reverse censorship and media censorship.  These censors can be in the form of redacted text on a government document, blurring out a person’s face in a photo or video, supplying students with textbooks that only discuss one side of history or even the prohibition of showing certain films in conservative areas.   

Content that can be controversial or radical are most likely to be the first pieces of information to be censored.  Opinions are never shared among all people, so statements or ideas that are seen as “dangerous” are in danger of being censored for their “out-of-the-box” thinking.   

Is it successful? 

The purpose of censorship ranges from good to bad, but the more positive goals with censorship have to do with protecting individuals from public slander.  Censorship can reduce the amount of hate speech used on social media as well as protect younger users from viewing unhealthy content.  Films or TV shows with mature ratings are not typically advertised for children, and parents have power to censor their kids from watching shows on Netflix that may be too crude or violent.  Censorship can also protect the public from information that they do not need to know.  Sometimes people spend too much time looking into issues or topics that should be none of their concern, and censorship helps to prevent anyone from becoming too involved in solving problems that are out of their control. 

The groups most likely to favor censorship are those who can twist it to use it to their advantage.  People in politics often use censorship to hide the opinion of the opposing side.  Information is often withheld from the public and bold statements are left to interject knee-jerk reactions from the public.  Sometimes, this political strategy works so much that the public begins to believe the misleading information being broadcast on all media platforms.  This, of course, is how “fake news” takes over and the truth gets stuffed under the bed so that reality can get hidden behind an idealistic society.   

Who does it benefit? 

Some forms of censorship are necessary when it comes to protecting younger generations and those who are wrongfully involved in issues.  For example, hiding the identity of jury members protects themselves and their loved ones.  Prohibiting individuals under the age of 18 from attending certain films or nightclubs is another positive outcome of censorship as forcing children to grow up so quickly today is tempting poor mental stability for the future. 

Everyone always has an agenda.  No matter how much power you hold – or do not hold – there is always a reason for doing something in this world.  Unfortunately, hidden motivations usually have negative impacts on one or all parties.  A mom censoring her six-year-old from rated R movies is a hidden motivation behind a “kids” account on Netflix, but a government official hiding secret information from the public can be a sign of a hidden motivation to avoid conviction of a federal crime.   

How does censorship affect society? 

From my perspective, censorship is often used to make a statement about an individual’s agenda or message.  Social media pages often post pictures of people or ideas that are blurred out to diminish their value or importance.  Other times it is to protect the identity of the people in the photo, however, most of the time censorship is a tool for making political statements against the opposing party. 

The most important thing to keep in mind that censorship has a wide spectrum of purpose and impact.  Some use censorship to protect those they care about from the harsh realities of life, while most others abuse the power of censorship to fulfill a personal agenda.  Unfortunately, it seems to me that there are more selfish people in this world than there are selfless people.  One can only hope that the more educated and humbled society becomes, the more respectful we will be towards media and those who use it daily.   

Sources:
Facts about Censorship - Censorship - LAWS.com
Media, Censorship & Propaganda (cuny.edu)
Forms of Censorship; Censorship As Form › electronic book review
censorship | Definition, History, Types, & Examples | Britannica
What is Censorship? - National Coalition Against Censorship (ncac.org)

Censorship Assignment: Is Censorship Necessary?

  Is Censorship Necessary?

By: Natalie Wong 

What is Censorship?

    Censorship is the suppression or prohibition of speech and media. Typically, things that are censored are seen as a threat or unacceptable. The government plays a huge role in censorship along with private institutions and higher authority. Censorship blocks the viewing of certain media. Censorship can have an effect on speech, politics, religion, education, etc. 

[Censorship Propaganda]

What is the Purpose of Censorship?

    The purpose of censorship is the filter out ideologies or speech that hinders or goes against the general belief. People use it as a way to control what people know and think. Censorship also can be used to protect the world from harmful or inappropriate speech and other forms of media. It prevents the exposure of some ideas or material to the entire public.     

What Information Has Been Censored?

    A lot of movies have been censored due to the fact that the government deems them as highly inappropriate or fear that they could influence the public in a negative manner. Some governments, outside of the U.S. don't allow citizens to speak out against the government. Typically, censorship is popular amongst dictatorships or communist. They want everyone to abide by their rules and to never question authority. Censorship is used to limit outside thoughts or ideas that threaten their security. 

[China Censors Speech]

Does Censorship Violate the First Amendment?

    The First Amendment in the U.S. Constitution protects the freedom of speech, religion, and press. It states that all Americans are guaranteed this freedom and right. It ensures that the government cannot control or take away the freedoms from their citizens. All U.S. citizens have the right to speak freely, practice whatever religion they please, and press. Censorship does violate the first amendment because it dictates what people see and what they're allowed to share.  The amendment forbids the government from taking away the freedom, and censorship is a direct violation of that right. It bans access to material that goes against the government's beliefs. 

[Government Controlling Media]

[Internet Censorship Around The World]

Is Censorship Necessary?

    Personally, I don't think any forms of censorship are necessary. I understand there are things that might be on the internet or in the public eye that go against a country's beliefs or may be deemed as politically or socially unacceptable, but censorship prevents people from even knowing about other ideas or outlooks. It shelter's people in a way that isn't necessary. Everyone should have the freedom of speech, press, and religion according to the First Amendment. There are other ways of influencing the public rather than banning or suppressing certain ideologies or speech. For example, propaganda has played a huge role in society and time after time has shown how impactful it can be. I think there are hidden motivations behind censorship that cause certain powers of authority to want to censor certain parts of the media. In a way, I think it could indirectly brainwash people because it blocks off certain ideas or the spreading of ideas that contradict what a government wants their people to believe.  

Propaganda assignment-Catherine Santiago

    A campaign for the government that took on this step towards propaganda. An iconic poster known all across America, “We Can Do It” was designed in 1943. Presenting her arm as the focus dispensing her strength while attired in a work outfit. A face of strength and no hesitation. A face marked and brought to the world’s recognition about women being strong. “Rosie the Riveter” was a symbol to other women of motivation and devotedness of women that didn’t get the right acknowledgment towards them. At the time during World War II, she helped women that did work around the house feel voiced and motivated them in different ways. 

    Although in today’s world most people are able to identify this poster, during the time this poster was out, not enough people were aware of what it represented and what it stood for. In the 1980s people began to recognize what the significance of this poster was for and the relevant aspects it had on the world. 

    With this, we learn that people wanted unity and equality. Their goal was to feel as important as one another and not feel lesser. Their group of focus when realizing this poster was for people to feel seen and for people to work harder. They focused more on women to recruit them into the munitions industry. This was noticed by working women that we’re able to recognize and have access to seeing this poster. This poster gave women the ability to become more involved with work outside of the home which was very empowering at the time. With the lack of equality between men and women, this sort of propaganda stood out for lots of women due to the importance of women it represented for them.