Comments on: Censorship of citizen media… or lack of interest? http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2006/12/04/censorship-of-citizen-media-or-lack-of-interest/ EthanZ's musings on Africa, media and international development Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:45:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Citizen Media Watch » “Censorship is flattery” http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2006/12/04/censorship-of-citizen-media-or-lack-of-interest/comment-page-1/#comment-92582 Citizen Media Watch » “Censorship is flattery” Thu, 07 Dec 2006 20:07:53 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/?p=1130#comment-92582 [...] I just read an interesting piece on free speech online by Ethan Zuckerman at My heart’s in Accra. He reasons that the fact that different non-democratic governments try to restrict citizen media is in fact the greatest proof of its importance. If governments are bothering to block citizen media, it’s because they the power and threat of this new media. After all, censorship is the sincerest form of flattery when you’re an anti-government activist. [...] [...] I just read an interesting piece on free speech online by Ethan Zuckerman at My heart’s in Accra. He reasons that the fact that different non-democratic governments try to restrict citizen media is in fact the greatest proof of its importance. If governments are bothering to block citizen media, it’s because they the power and threat of this new media. After all, censorship is the sincerest form of flattery when you’re an anti-government activist. [...]

]]> By: a517dogg http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2006/12/04/censorship-of-citizen-media-or-lack-of-interest/comment-page-1/#comment-90392 a517dogg Tue, 05 Dec 2006 18:30:24 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/?p=1130#comment-90392 Related to the self-censorship, I'd imagine, is the growing attention deficit. The more stuff is out there, the less time you have to deal with all of it, the more people are _forced_ to self-select in terms of their input because they simply don't have time to take all of it in. The key, I think, is to be curious enough to change what you look for every once in a while. Related to the self-censorship, I’d imagine, is the growing attention deficit. The more stuff is out there, the less time you have to deal with all of it, the more people are _forced_ to self-select in terms of their input because they simply don’t have time to take all of it in. The key, I think, is to be curious enough to change what you look for every once in a while.

]]> By: quixote http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2006/12/04/censorship-of-citizen-media-or-lack-of-interest/comment-page-1/#comment-89925 quixote Mon, 04 Dec 2006 21:47:10 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/?p=1130#comment-89925 Ethan, the apathy-as-censorship point is hugely important. I'd say it's a bigger threat to free speech at this point that government censorship. After all, the only thing the latter really accomplishes is to alert people to the fact that there's something interesting going on. What you might call the "Banned in Boston" syndrome. Once governments generally get as sophisticated as, say, Karl Rove, at manipulating media, lack of interest may be what finally succeeds in generating the world's first successful censorship. Horrible thought. Ethan, the apathy-as-censorship point is hugely important. I’d say it’s a bigger threat to free speech at this point that government censorship. After all, the only thing the latter really accomplishes is to alert people to the fact that there’s something interesting going on. What you might call the “Banned in Boston” syndrome. Once governments generally get as sophisticated as, say, Karl Rove, at manipulating media, lack of interest may be what finally succeeds in generating the world’s first successful censorship. Horrible thought.

]]> By: Marina making pictures http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2006/12/04/censorship-of-citizen-media-or-lack-of-interest/comment-page-1/#comment-89897 Marina making pictures Mon, 04 Dec 2006 19:58:31 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/?p=1130#comment-89897 What a scandal. I think Ethiopia could be more open to blogs. They just fear the people to express their real thoughts. Thank you for sharing this story with me ! What a scandal. I think Ethiopia could be more open to blogs. They just fear the people to express their real thoughts.

Thank you for sharing this story with me !

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