Week 6
Censoring?
Looking At Aljazeera as a source of news, can we say that Western News Organizations censor the news we get? Aljazeera is known for their graphic news images and stories that presents the real facts behind international conflicts or other events. Because the Western News companies like Fox News don’t, does that mean they’re censoring us?
It’s really does raise a lot of questions on what media outlets should show, but many see the freeness of Al Jazeera as a good thing. “Traditionally, the Middle East has been accustomed to heavily censored offerings of state-controlled television…(however) by using the power and persuasion of television, this news channel provided the first exposure to opposing voices, and in so doing has managed to enrage all of the authoritarian Arab regimes at one time or another (M El-Nawawy, 2002).”
Historically, not censoring violent images can have huge effects, for example the Vietnam War, also known as the televised war. The tactics and treatment from the American’s towards the Vietnamese soldiers and civilians were captures on camera for the first time in a war, because of the content that was being sent home (not propaganda for once) the general public became very much opposed against their troops, with Vietnam vets being spat on and only been allowed to march many years after.
References
M El-Nawawy, A Iskander – 2002, Al-Jazeera: How the free Arab news network scooped the world and changed the Middle East, omec.uab.cat
globlogisation 
The author of this blog has made a good point regarding the point that it may be us, under Fox news, being censored. Although in principle, yes we are being censored, but in what way? I believe that we DO get the same news, the same information. But we, as a society, do not relish in the pain and suffering of others. We do not NEED to SEE the desecrated body of Osama Bin Laden, we do not need to see the massive graves full of woman and children. Australians get the majority of news from primetime coverage; we watch it with our kids, and as a mother, i would not want my kids to see such graphic images. So it is censorship or is it in line with Australian morals?
I’m usually against censoring images but if it does not have a purpose then what is the point of showing such a violent and disutrbing image? I think some war pictures are neccesary as they show the true nature of war, if the Vietnam War photos were censored then maybe we would still have this 1940’s romantic view on war. But then again, there was a man called Daniel V Jones in America who shot himself on a bridge with a shotgun and his whole head was blown off, yet this was shown on day time television. You have to ask youself who benefits from seeing that?