GMAT Essays (AWA)

“In some countries, television and radio programs are carefully censored for offensive language and behavior. In
other countries, there is little or no censorship.”
In your view, to what extent should government or any other group be able to censor television or radio programs?
Explain, giving relevant reasons and/or examples to support your position.
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The argument about whether television and radio programs need to be
censored for offensive language in some countries is a sensitive issue. On one hand, you want to encourage freedom of speech and on
the other side you also want to censor television and radio programs for offensive language so as to not to corrupt, in particular, the minds of the young audience who might be influenced by such language.
However, In my view televisions and radio programs should not be
censored.

Firstly,how does one determine what constitutes offensive language
and what does not. If censorship is just limited to childern's
programs then I would agree but in adult programs where such
offensive language is an integral part of the message then one just
cannot remove such language. By doing so, you are not transmitting
the correct message. For example, recently in a cricket match between
Australia and India, Harbhajan Singh of India called Australian
Andrew Symonds a monkey during the match which was heard by the live audience all around the world. Andrew Symonds regarded this as an offensive and racist word. However, just because Symonds regarded this as part of the offensive language one just cannot censor this word from the audience.

Secondly, most democracies of the world promote freedom of speech.
Only in countries which do not have a democratic form of government
there is a censorship board which censors offensive language from the
radio and television programs which are broadcast. Sometimes the
government might censor some of the programs so as to promote its own propaganda. For example, in Pakistan which does not support democracy, some of the radio and television programs screened in that country, are blocked sometimes by the government itself in order to show its own citizens only one side of the story which happens - Whenever someone critcizes the government's policies it immediately does not broadcast this since it has control of the television and radio programs which are shown.

Also, I feel that television and radio programs are not the only
source of offensive language. There are lot of different media like
internet where one might come across such language. I think the
audeince needs to educate itself and decide for itself what is good
and what is not. It should not be told by some government official
that this word is offensive and this is not.

In the end, I conclude that placing such restrictions on television
and radio programs is not good for the people of that country and
that they should decide what is good and what is not for them.