Censorship Twanna Hodge March 03 2015 Today Check

Censorship Twanna Hodge March 03, 2015

Today ▪ Check in ▪ Go over this week assignments ▪ Introduction to censorship, propaganda and visual/media literacy o Learning Outcomes: v Definition of censorship and propaganda v Discuss the role of censorship and propaganda in our lives

Taken from Shuttershock http: //tinyurl. com/k 55 rwtx

Censorship Activity ▪ Topics – Politics – Religion – Nudity & Pornography – Mass Surveillance – LGBTQ – Racist language and slurs – Profanities & Language – Economic systems (i. e. communism, socialism) – Violence (i. e. war, mental, physical)

1 st Amendment ▪ “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 peaceable to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. ” ▪ Taken from http: //constitution. findlaw. com/amendment 1. html

Censorship ▪ Censorship is the suppression of ideas and information that certain persons—individuals, groups or government officials—find objectionable or dangerous. – ALA Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q & A

Why are books challenged?

Top Ten Challenged Books in 2013 Out of 307 challenges as reported by the Office for Intellectual Freedom • Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group, violence • The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group • Fifty Shades of Grey, by E. L. James Reasons: Nudity, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group • The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins Reasons: Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group • A Bad Boy Can Be Good for A Girl, by Tanya Lee Stone Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit • Looking for Alaska, by John Green Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group • The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group • Bless Me Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya Reasons: Occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit • Bone (series), by Jeff Smith Reasons: Political viewpoint, racism, violence ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom http: //www. ala. org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top 10

Should libraries have materials that… ▪ Show gambling techniques? ▪ Express ideas contradictory to religion? ▪ Speak out against the government? ▪ Show explicit sex or nudity? ▪ Display the Nazi swastika, or other offensive symbols? ▪ Use racist language? ▪ Favor communism? ▪ Explain how to build explosives? ▪ Contain swear words or offensive language ? ▪ Portray certain groups of people negatively? ▪ Break copyright laws?

If Materials Are On A Library Shelf, Doesn’t That Mean The Library Approves Of Those Materials? ▪ The presence of any particular materials in a library collection does not imply endorsement of the ideas expressed in those materials. The library is simply doing its job as a neutral provider of information from all points of view—if the library “endorses” anything, it is your right to have access to a broad selection of materials. If you don’t find materials to your liking, ask your librarian to help you!

Propaganda Activity ▪ Homework : Bring to class a definition of your assigned propaganda (and persuasion) techniques and a written example of each. A written example could be a quote or an advertisement that you heard on the radio or seen on tv and then write it down. If you have any questions, please contact me immediately. ▪ In class: Form groups of 4 and share your definition of propaganda and the definitions and examples of the techniques that you were assigned. Come up and list with ways that you would combat or refute those techniques. After your discussion each group will choose 2 propaganda techniques that the class will learn and how to combat them.

Propaganda Definition ▪ The systematic propagation of information or ideas by an interested party, esp. in a tendentious way in order to encourage or instill a particular attitude or response. Also, the ideas, doctrines, etc. , disseminated thus; the vehicle of such propagation. " (from Oxford English Dictionary, 2 nd ed. , 1989)

Counterpropaganda ▪ Research and analysis Who is the intended audience? What effects do the propagandists desire? What effects have they achieved? Which other audiences have heard or seen this message? What do these messages indicate about an adversary's perceptions, capabilities, vulnerabilities, and intent? – What are the intentional or unintentional inaccuracies, inconsistencies, or deceits in the messages that we can exploit? – What counter arguments can we deploy, to whom, and how? – – – Taken from Counterpropaganda http: //tinyurl. com/ok 4 eqhd

Counterpropaganda ▪ Reveal true origin of propaganda ▪ Expose reasoning errors ▪ Dissemination of exposed propaganda Taken from Counterpropaganda http: //tinyurl. com/ok 4 eqhd

How might censorship or propaganda effect you in your career? ▪ Think and take notes for one minute ▪ Share with class