Summary: The Long History Of Censorship

The history of censorship is a very long one, with “The origin of the term censor being traced to the office of censor established in Rome i 443 BC” (Newth). In the article, “The Long History of Censorship” by Mette Newth, that was published on www.beaconforfreedom.org in the year 2010, the author discusses the roots of censorship and the different factors that influenced its use and purpose in society. In the early ages, “Free speech, which implies the free expression of thoughts, was a challenge for pre-Christian rulers” (para 5). The struggle with the freedom of speech and the freedom of press was only pushed further as “The invention of the printing press in Europe in the mid 15th century, only increased the need for censorship” (para 6).

The first case of this was when “Pope Paul IV ordered the first Index of Prohibited Books in 1559” (para 7). The church furthered its’ hold on publications when “The Church decreed in 1543 that no book could be printed or sold without permission of the church” (para 10). In later years, censorship was still a common occurrence, such as “In the 18th century, the press in most of Europe was frequently subject to strict censorship. The 19th century saw the emergence of an independent press, as censors gradually had to cede to demands for a free press” (para 25). However, as said in the article, censorship was starting to lesson, as the public made their demands on the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press. In the more modern world, “government-instituted censorship had apparently been abandoned in most western countries during the 19th and most of the 20th century, public concern for offensive literature did not subside” (para

In the journal, “Press Censorship” by Wilfrid Eggelston, that was published in The Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science talks about the use of Press Censorship and the purpose that it has served. According to Eggleston, “Censorship in wartime seeks to withhold military information from the enemy, and to safeguard public morale from the corrosion of enemy propaganda” (para 1). In Eggleston’s words, the purpose of this is simple, “The essence of successful warfare is secrecy, ‘Let us learn what we can from the enemy; let us teach him only what we must’” (para 2). However, there can still be discord with the people and the government in this scenario as well, as the people want to be informed on what is going on during the war, but the government wants to make sure that the enemy knows nothing. As a result, “The public must be told the facts; the enemy must be kept guessing” (para 3). As for the actual method in which the government censors material during war, “Press censorship of military secrets requires the withholding of information of value to the enemy, as defined in the compromise outlined above, from the columns of newspapers and other publications” (para 6). Another method of press censorship during war is that of blocking enemy propaganda, as “Censorship [is] to protect morale” (para