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MASS MEDIA RESTRICTIONS
Mass media restrictions can be simply explained as certain boundaries or limitations, enforced by the governments and other forces with the use of law, on the media content to be accessible by general public. Mass media restrictions differ across the globe, as every country has its own laws and regulations to match their own ideology and goals. In simplicity, these laws are dependent upon what goals the country wishes to achieve. For instance, in a country like China which is an authoritarian state, censorship of the media is practiced as Facebook and Twitter are banned here and the government believes they are safeguarding their citizens. Whereas in countries such as The United States, where democracy is practiced, they believe in freedom of speech and the mass media law’s goals are based upon the encouragement of privatization, as the U.S. follows the capitalist ideology and a majority of mass media institutions are privately owned, subject to very few restrictions. Therefore, it is very situationally dependent, while assuming the type of media at hand, such as digital media, broadcasting or social media.

Mass media restrictions vary according to which country is being discussed, and is further dependent on which political regime, or ideology that country follows. For instance, in a democracy, freedom of expression and information as well as the accessibility of media freedom are two crucial factors. A democratic state such as the United States practices this freedom of expression, particularly in the case of social media however this is within the limits of the U.S. government, as it must be regulated. Mass media restrictions are a reflection of the country. In the instance of the United States, freedom of press is encouraged as the government promotes the idea that a freedom of press and openness of the media allows for transparency. The public will feel more confident in the government if they believe that they are aware of what is going on in their country, and the openness of the press promotes the idea of significance based on the public, promoting the public’s ease or approval of their government. In a book titled ‘The American Government,’ by OSCRice University, regulating the media is discussed and the laws promote as much freedom of speech as possible. However, there are some rightful media restrictions such as, “The press can not libel or slander individuals or publish information about troop movements or undercover operatives.” This section discusses the rules laid out for the print media in particular, as newspapers are forbidden from publishing any information about the military, or the CIA. Broadcasting media which is concerned with communication media such as television or radio are also addressed. The article continues to state that, “The Federal Communications Commission can enforce limits on television and radio programming by financing or revoking licenses.”. Broadcast media in the U.S. is also prohibited for being obscene and programs considered indecent or do not fit the PG13 mark are only to be shown on television during certain hours. They are shown from 10 pm to 6 am, as the idea that follows the reasoning is that children are put to bed at this time and will not be exposed to any forms of indecency depicted in the media.

In an article published by ‘The council of Europe,’ titled ‘Freedom of Expression and Information in Times of Crisis,’ the role of journalists is discussed here. The media’s pivotal role in the spread of information is explained, and it is stated that there are certain media restrictions and rules to be followed in carrying out the spread of information. It states, “The media plays a key role also coupled with increased responsibility, in providing accurate, reliable information to the public, but also in preventing panic and fostering people’s understanding for and cooperation with necessary strategy.” This is crucial as the media, especially in today’s time and age, has an immense importance in our daily lives. The main source of information about the world, current events and opinions formulated are through the media. Human beings and the media go hand in hand and the media is a major factor of our lives and a significant source of information. This is why mass media restrictions are so important, because the media can influence us in ways like no other. This brings us to a theory regarding the media proposed in 1927. The Magic Bullet Theory or Hypodermic needle model focuses on how the audience is passive, and the media is dominant as the information given by the media is what the audience immediately believes. The audience does not stop to think that the media might be spreading disinformation. This is because we are so passive to the media, the needle is able to inject its desired message into the audience’s mind and it spreads as fast as a bullet, as the name of the theory suggests. The audience is seen as uniform while the media is seen as all powerful and pervasive. A popular example of Hypodermic needle theory is that of a radio transmission of the ‘War of Worlds’ in New York, where fake news of an alien invasion caused mass hysteria. The public immediately believed this news, despite there being no proof and this caused panic amongst the masses as some even panicked to such an extent, that they got heart attacks. This is why media restrictions and regulations are so significant. In the academic article, ‘Rethinking the Bullet Theory in the Digital Age,’ by Chinenye Nwabueze and Ebere Okonkwo, the theory proposed in as ancient as the 1920’s is analyzed in accordance to today’s climate. Traditional mass media has expanded, as the article suggests as the online world and social media is now included. The two key developments are discussed; “(1)The internet enables publication of massive user generated content and (2) Social media enables one to one communication, as opposed to the one-to-many communication structure of traditional media.” As the younger generation is shown to use social media most frequently, this affects them and their methods of communication in the modern age. Therefore, media restrictions are crucial in promoting a healthy environment for these children as what they view on social media impacts their way of living in the real world. Media journalists must follow the highest ethical standards and refrain from publishing news that will cause and spread further panic.

Furthermore, there is an antithesis to media restrictions for countries opposed to America, or Canada. Take the instance of the authoritative regime of China. China is a country which believes in various forms of media restrictions. The country has been run by a single party, The Chinese Communist Party since 1949 and believes in socialist ideologies. China has one of the world’s most restrictive medias and the regime believes in strict censorship, especially regarding its media. In an article titled, ‘Understanding the Chinese Media Censorship,’ the author explains, “It has to be noticed that the citizens of China have voluntarily given up their freedom in return for stability and security.”(

Furthermore, in an article by Time Magazine published by Eloise Barry regarding which countries have bans on Twitter, Facebook or Tiktok, China’s case is further discussed. The country has had media giants such as Facebook and Twitter blocked since 2009,even articles by ‘The New York Times,’ are blocked here and their strict restrictions of foreign media have granted them the title of ‘The Great Firewall,’ as VPNS are also not accessible in the country

There are however alternatives for these applications, such as WeChat in China, however these applications too are tightly controlled by the government. Many are also working in firms in China to control user generated content and censorship here. There is no sense of being anonymous either on the internet,  as every application available for download requires one’s National ID number for registration.

There are many other dangers tied to the media, despite media restrictions, the lives of journalists are always at risk no matter how much journalists attempt to remain ethical and within these restrictions. Certain countries can not risk certain information being leaked, and ‘Community to Protect Journalists,’ or CPJ’s data shows from 1992 to 2022, the total number of journalists that have been murdered for merely doing their work is an alarming number of 1444.

Therefore, media restrictions are dependent upon which country the laws are being implemented in. In countries that follow authoritarian regimes, it is seen that these laws are heavily enforced and the government has strict control over all sorts of media. In contrast, countries such as the US believe in democracy and freedom of media is reinforced. However, despite being a journalist following the rules, some countries and organizations do not want information to get out about them, and will go to all lengths, including murder to prevent this. Hence, media restrictions across the world vary and are dependent on certain country’s ideologies.