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The Necessity Of Censorship In Hawaii During World War II

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The Necessity of Censorship in Hawaii During the Second World War
Panayiotis (Peter) Michalos
6666978
HIST 4P43 - Censorship: A Comparative Approach
Professor McLeod
April 5th, 2023

During World War II, the territory of Hawaii played a crucial role as a strategic military outpost for the United States in the Pacific theatre. As a result, military censorship was immediately imposed in Hawaii during this period to maintain security and protect sensitive information. The Office of the Censor released the statement that “Printer's ink must never jeopardise the red blood of soldiers” during a time when a democracy goes to war. The United States armed forces realised the importance of censorship of television, newspapers, radio, …show more content…

The military censorship in Hawaii during World War II was a significant component of the larger national effort to maintain secrecy and security in order to ensure the success of the war effort in the Pacific theatre. Hawaii, being one of the only US territories to be attacked during World War Two, and Oahu having both Pearl Harbour, and Hickam Air Force Base on its island made it a significant target for espionage missions. Despite the restrictions imposed on the public and press through martial law, censorship was seen as a necessary measure to safeguard national security interests and protect military operations and movements during this critical time in history. Overall, military censorship in Hawaii during World War II was vital in maintaining operational security and preventing the compromise of sensitive …show more content…

Poindexter declared martial law across the islands, until the danger of invasion from the Japanese was removed. This would begin a relentless military and civilian censorship campaign in Hawaii to protect sensitive information from being leaked to the enemy. Military censorship in Hawaii would come with positives and negatives, which contribute to how and why censorship is an important issue both to those who support and oppose censorship. However, the necessity was clear, to keep servicemen alive, and keep the public morale high was of the utmost importance to the Department of Defence. They would use censorship to their ability, to both control the narrative at home, and keep secrets and important documents from the enemies of the United

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