censorship

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These Are the 10 Most Challenged Books

LGBTQ themes feature in many of the books highlighted by the American Library Association

(Newser) - Book censorship hit "the highest levels ever documented" last year, according to the American Library Association , which saw the number of challenged titles climb 65% in 2023 over the previous year. "These are books that contain the ideas, the opinions, and the voices that censors want to silence—...

Who's Worse for Democracy, Biden or Trump? RFK Jr. Picks

Independent POTUS candidate claims Biden is first president to use feds 'to censor political speech'

(Newser) - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. obviously thinks he's a better man for the Oval Office than either of his two main competitors, President Biden and former President Trump, but he made it clear during an appearance this week on CNN that he thinks one of his political foes looms more...

Amazon Series Set in Hong Kong Can't Be Seen There

'Expats,' starring Nicole Kidman, includes brief scene from protest rally

(Newser) - Nicole Kidman's latest project is set in Hong Kong, but people who live there are blocked from seeing it, prompting speculation about censorship in a city where civil liberties are shrinking fast. The first two episodes of Expats, a six-episode drama about expatriate women, were released on Amazon Prime...

Cop Enters Classroom to Search for LGBTQ+ Book

Massachusetts police, school have both since apologized

(Newser) - Earlier this month, a Massachusetts police officer entered a middle school classroom to search for a book about LGBTQ+ issues—an incident for which both the department and the school are now apologizing. A parent called the Great Barrington Police Department to report that they were concerned about an illustration...

Author's Kids Book Flagged for a 'Laughable' Reason

Picture book placed on review list for Alabama library due to writer Mary-Louise Gay's last name

(Newser) - Marie-Louise Gay's children's books often pop up on various recommended lists, like "books to watch for" and books that "inspire a love of reading." At one Alabama library, however, one of the award-winning Canadian author and illustrator's picture books was placed on a list...

This Photo Is Being Censored in China

The runners' numbers just so happen to make 6/4, the anniversary of Tiananmen Square

(Newser) - It was a congratulatory hug following a Sunday race at the Asian Games—and photos of it are being scrubbed from social media in China. Lin Yuwei took gold in the 100m hurdles; Wu Yanni embraced her. It's an innocuous enough scene, except for the race numbers they happen...

SCOTUS to Hear Case on GOP-Backed Social Media Laws

Legislation enacted in Texas, Florida aim to prevent social media sites from censoring users

(Newser) - The Supreme Court agreed Friday to decide whether state laws that seek to regulate Facebook, TikTok, X (formerly known as Twitter), and other social media platforms violate the Constitution. The justices will review laws enacted by Republican-dominated legislatures and signed by Republican governors in Florida and Texas. While the details...

'One of Most Sex-Ridden Books Around' Returned to School Shelves

Utah's Davis School District reverses decision

(Newser) - Bibles will return to the shelves in a northern Utah school district that provoked an outcry after it banned them from middle and elementary schools last month, the AP reports. Officials from the Davis School District said at a board meeting Tuesday that the district had determined the sacred text...

Michelangelo Gets Censored in Scottish Subway Ad

'David' needs a crop before he can be used to hawk pizza in Glasgow

(Newser) - He may be nearly universally considered a masterpiece made by one of the most widely renowned artists in history, but Michelangelo's David is definitely naked, and as such, proved a little too much for a Scottish subway system. As Hyperallergic reports, the idea was for Glasgow-based Italian restaurant Barolo...

School Library Scraps Inaugural Poem After Parent Complaint

Amanda Gorman says she's 'gutted' that 'The Hill We Climb' was taken out of Fla. elementary library

(Newser) - The young poet who performed her spoken-word piece at President Biden's 2021 inauguration is now at the center of the latest book-banning controversy. Citing documents from the Florida Freedom to Read Project, Politico reports that Amanda Gorman's poem "The Hill We Climb" has been removed from the...

Newspaper Gets Creative to Inform Russians About War

Finnish paper hides news about Ukraine in a popular video game available to Russians

(Newser) - Finland's biggest daily newspaper has found a creative way to inform Russians about the war in Ukraine, reports Reuters . Knowing that Moscow censors any news about the war, the Helsingin Sanomat turned to the world of video games. The popular game "Counter-Strike" encourages users to create their own...

Winnie the Pooh Slasher Film Pulled From HK Cinemas

Censorship may be to blame

(Newser) - Public screenings of a slasher film that features Winnie the Pooh were scrapped abruptly in Hong Kong on Tuesday, sparking discussions over increasing censorship in the city. Film distributor VII Pillars Entertainment announced on Facebook that the release of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey on Thursday had been canceled...

Chinese Censors Change Ending of Minions Movie

Addendum tells audience supervillain was caught and went to prison for 20 years

(Newser) - This story contains spoilers for Minions: The Rise of Gru. At the end of Despicable Me prequel Minions: The Rise of Gru, future supervillain Gru and his mentor Wild Knuckles drive off, with Knuckles having faked his death to avoid capture by the Anti-Villain League. Censors in China decided not...

Tommy Lee's IG Posts Have Everyone Doing a Double Take

Motley Crue drummer's full-frontal pic fires up debate over why it was able to stay on platform for so long

(Newser) - If you missed Tommy Lee's full-frontal display on social media earlier this week, no worries—he's now sharing a painting of the photo instead. Meanwhile, some are wondering why Lee's original nude pic was able to stay up online for as long as it did in the...

China Scrubs Keanu's Flicks From Streaming Platforms
China Isn't
Happy With
Keanu Reeves
in case you missed it
Mar 27, 2022 4:25 PM CDT

China Isn't Happy With Keanu Reeves

Nation yanks bulk of actor's movies from streaming platforms after he did benefit concert for Tibet House

(Newser) - Earlier this month, Keanu Reeves participated in an online benefit concert held by Tibet House, a nonprofit based in New York that's tied to the Dalai Lama. Now, the 57-year-old Canadian actor is seeing the repercussions, with the Los Angeles Times reporting that China's major streaming platforms yanked...

Russian State TV Producer on Air: 'They Are Lying to You'

Marina Ovsyannikova urged Russians to 'take to the streets' to protest war before her arrest

(Newser) - An employee of Russia's state TV Channel One interrupted a live broadcast of its flagship evening news program Monday to denounce government "propaganda" and shout anti-war slogans. The protester entered the frame as anchor Ekaterina Andreeva reported on Russian efforts to combat sanctions. OVD-Info, a human rights group...

Starting Monday, No More Instagram in Russia

After same move on FB, nation bans social media site due to 'calls for violence' against Russians

(Newser) - Earlier this month, Russia blocked access to Facebook. Now citizens are about to lose access to Instagram, a widening of the net that's "squeezing the free flow of information online for Russians," per NPR . Insider reports that Roskomnadzor, Russia's media overseer, announced Thursday that starting Monday,...

Ross' Wife Is Gay? China's Censors Won't Hear of It

Fans of 'Friends' cry foul after detail is cut from episode

(Newser) - China's censors are back in the news , this time over an episode of Friends. When Ross explains to his parents that his wife has left him, the part in which he explains why—she's lesbian and has found a female partner—was cut from a recently aired rerun,...

Fight Club Has a Very Different Ending in China
Ending of Fight Club 
is Restored in China
UPDATED
Feb 7, 2022 1:00 PM CST

Ending of Fight Club is Restored in China

It had been replaced with text saying authorities foiled plan

(Newser) - Update: The original ending of Fight Club has been restored on a streaming service in China after an outcry over what appeared to be extremely heavy-handed censorship. On Tencent Video, a scene in which skyscrapers containing credit card records are blown up is back, CNN reports. It had been replaced...

School District to Reconsider 400 Books
Texas 
District
Yanks 400
Books
Dec 8, 2021 4:20 PM CST

Texas District Yanks 400 Books

Legislator sent a list of 800 titles to review

(Newser) - A letter from a legislator has prompted one of the largest school districts in Texas to look for "obscene or vulgar material" in more than 400 library books. While they're being reviewed, the books will no longer be on library shelves, NBC reports. Republican state Rep. Matt Krause,...

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