Censorship has many different meanings; the meaning can depend on what exactly is being censored or who is creating the definition itself. There can be a lot of bias when creating a definition for censorship but in a broad sense, it refers to a suppression of information, ideas, or expression by anyone and can take place at any point in time to deter others as it occurs when groups or individuals try to prevent other people from saying or depicting words and images. The Academic American Encyclopedia offers a more legalistic definition staying that censorship means the prevention by official government action of the circulation of messages already produced.
Censorship is also viewed as a violation of the First Amendment, as it states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” When a censor seeks to limit freedom through restricting others, these freedoms are then implicated.
Self-censorship can happen because people want to avoid controversy or offending someone, or it can happen because someone believes their view is the correct view, and they want to censor anything that opposes them; this is seen as a preventative measure.
Censorship of others happens for a plethora of reasons. Censors might be trying to protect the virtue of others, where they believe that the beliefs they hold should be enforced and others should conform to their own opinions. They could also be trying to protect a predominant ideology that certain groups of people might be benefitting from, as a way to secure their control in society. Along with that, censors might be trying to rid society of certain beliefs that they consider offensive.
Speech
Art
Books
Movies
Magazines or other periodicals
Plays
Photos
Television
Radio
Websites
News reports
