Communication and Ethical Response on:

Censorship, Identity and Anonymity / Fraudulence

Censorship
Introduction
Every day, we utter words, and we communicate freely to those around us. From verbal to nonverbal,
we express ourselves through various modes of communication. Why shouldn’t we? After all,
communication occurs every second of our lives. If we see the linear model of communication, the
sender sends a message which the receiver receives and interprets. Now, what happens when someone
chooses to inhibit that line of communication? What if someone says you are not allowed to express
that thought or message? This communication is when censorship takes place. “Censorship is the
suppression of speech or deletion of communicative material which may be considered objectionable,
harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient to the government or media organizations as determined by a
censor.” We are careful with our words because we do not want to hurt anyone, so we do not always
utter the first thought that comes into our minds. When censorship is not self-imposed, but rather
imposed on an individual or community, then certain other problems can arise. Largely, censorship
takes place in film, television, radio, and the internet. In this class, we will cover the communication
and ethical issues of censorship, Identity and Anonymity, and Fraudulence and how that can bring
theological growth and ministry.
Censorship’s History in Communication
In ancient times, Socrates was sentenced to drink poison in 399 BCE, because they believed that he
was corrupting youths, and he accepted certain unorthodox divinities.1 Such was the punishment that
was granted towards anyone who exercised free speech. In the present context, certain countries like;
China, North Korea, and even Russia all employ censorship. In India, the most well-known case of
censorship took place when BBC published the documentary of the Delhi Rape Case known as India’s
Daughter. India banned this film from being seen in India, due to the controversy and the negative
view that was propagated regarding India’s government. In many countries, freedom of speech is
granted by law to their citizens. Jacob J. Sraampi writes in his book, Understanding Communication
Media, “The presence of a free press in a country is a true test of democracy.”2Furthermore,
censorship found achievement through examining books, plays, films, television and radio programs,
news reports and other forms of communication to alter or suppress ideas found to be objectionable
or offensive.
Forms of Censorship

1
Mette Newth, “The Long History of Censorship,” Beacon for Freedom,
http://www.beaconforfreedom.org/liste.html?tid=415&art_id=475 (2010).
2
Jacob J. Sraampi, Understanding Communication Media (Bangalore: Asian Trading Corporation, 1981), 185.
1
Frank Caso, in his book, Censorship, writes about three forms of censorship, “Throughout recorded
history, rulers and religious leaders have abused their powers to forbid speech, writing, and images
they considered a threat to their authority or contrary to divine will. Censorship also means
manipulating the information people are allowed to receive, including creating official messages that
are thrust upon the population. A third form of censorship is secrecy; all governments label some
information secret and try to prevent its publication.”3 When an author or other creator engages in
censorship of his or her works, it is called self-censorship.
Types of Censorship
• Moral Censorship: the removal of materials that are obscene or otherwise morally
questionable. For example, pornography is often censored under this rationale.
• Military Censorship: the process of keeping military intelligence and tactics confidential and
away from the enemy.
• Political Censorship: it occurs when governments hold back information from their citizens.
• Religious Censorship: it is how any material objectionable to a certain faith is removed.
• Corporate Censorship is the process by which editors in corporate media outlets intervene
to halt the publishing of information that portrays their business or business partners in a
negative light.

Significances

➢ to control obscenity, child pornography, and hate speech.

➢ to protect children or other vulnerable groups.
➢ to promote or restrict political or religious views.
➢ And to prevent slander and libel.

Identity and Anonymity

With the development of information communication technology, anonymity and identity issues
become one of the important issues in information communication. As information becomes more
precious, it becomes more important for individuals to safeguard personal identity. Personal identity
is valuable because it enshrines personal privacy. Unfortunately, with rapid advances in
communication, especially computer communication technology, it has become increasingly difficult
to protect personal identity.

Anonymity is a result of not having identifying characteristics (such as a name or description of

physical appearance) disclosed. For example, anonymity may include:

3
Frank Caso, Censorship (New York: Infobase Publishing, 2008),9.
2
 ✓ sending electronic mail to an individual, or bulletin board, without one’s given name
appearing in any part of the header
✓ participating in a “chat” group, electronic forum, or game without one’s given name being
known by other participants.
✓ being able to visit any website without having to divulge one's identity.

A common variant of anonymity is pseudonymity, where another name than the real author is shown.
A person can even use multiple different pseudonyms for different kinds of communication.

Modern development of communication, especially in the field of information technology has

provided certain possibilities and potentials to many people. Information about us is collected, stored,
analysed and sometimes shared. Into the great store of information, we are also identified through
name, street address, email address, phone number, credit card number, social security number,
passport number, and level of education, and we are also described by age, hair colour, eye colour,
and height. Therefore, anonymity becomes an identity issue in one way or the other.

Anonymity has been used for many purposes.

• To hide certain information about themselves (identity) to achieve a more unbiased evaluation
of their messages.
• to protect the privacy of people
• Personal sections in newspapers are almost always signed by a pseudonym for obvious
reasons.

However, Anonymity (and pseudonymity) can be used for good and bad purposes. It can, in many
cases, be desirable for one person and not desirable for another person.

Advantages:

For some, it is good when a whistle-blower uses it to check unhealthy activities, It is also good in
case of national security for spies can gather information that is good for national defence, It is also
good for some relationships and the security of some people, and when there is intimidation and fear
of reprisals, anonymity is also good because useful information may be revealed.

Disadvantages:

On the other hand, anonymity can also bring diverse forms of suffering and problems in social
relations in society. It is also problematic because:

1. Criminals and embezzlers (fraudsters) can use it to their advantage and thus it makes law
enforcement difficult.
3
 2. It frees individuals to behave in socially undesirable and harmful ways.
3. It diminishes the integrity of information since one can’t be sure who information is coming
from, etc.

Fraudulence

Fraudulence refers to the quality or state of being fraudulent, which involves deceit, dishonesty, or
the act of deceiving others for personal gain or to cause harm. It is often associated with actions that
involve cheating, deception, or manipulation to achieve an unfair advantage or to mislead others.

Important Aspects of Fraudulence:

Deceitful Behaviour:

Fraudulence entails engaging in misleading practices to mislead others for personal benefit. This can
include falsifying information, misrepresenting facts, or manipulating situations to achieve dishonest
gains.

Cheating and Deception: The essence of fraudulence lies in acts of cheating or misleading others
through dishonest means. It undermines trust and integrity by breaching ethical and legal boundaries.

Fraudulent activities are many:

1. Tax Fraud: Involves intentionally providing false information on tax returns to reduce tax
liability or obtain refunds dishonestly.

2. Credit Card Fraud: This occurs when someone uses another person’s credit card
information without authorization to make unauthorized purchases.

3. Wire Fraud: Involves using electronic communication methods to deceive individuals or

organizations for financial gain.

4. Securities Fraud: Refers to deceptive practices in the stock market, such as insider trading,
false information dissemination, or market manipulation.

Biblical Perspective on Communication and its Ethical Relevance

Communication is viewed as a gift from God that enables individuals to build relationships, foster
understanding, and create culture. The Bible guides ethical communication practices that emphasize
honesty, respect, and accountability in interactions with others.

Biblical View on Communication:

4
Gift from God: Communication is seen as a divine gift that allows individuals to connect with others,
express thoughts and emotions, and convey messages effectively.

Relationship Building: The ability to communicate is essential for developing meaningful

relationships, resolving conflicts, and sharing the message of faith with others.

Ethical Relevance in Communication:

Honesty and Respect: From a Christian standpoint, ethical communication involves being truthful,
transparent, and respectful in all interactions. Honesty and respect are foundational principles that
guide ethical communication practices.

Divine Accountability: Christian communication ethics are supported by the belief in divine
accountability, where individuals are called to communicate in ways that honour God and reflect
moral integrity. Communication is viewed as a two-way process in Christian teachings, emphasizing
the importance of active listening, empathy, and understanding in dialogue.

Communication ethics: In Christian ministry, it is essential to maintain ethical communication

practices. Studying communication ethics can help individuals understand better understanding of all
manifestations of communicative interaction, ensuring that their communication is truthful,
transparent, and authentic.

Stanley A. Deetz suggests that most ethical issues are approached from three vantage points: ethics
for communication, ethics from communication and ethics of communication. An ethic for
communication is intended to determine whether a particular speech act or communication is ethical
or not. An ethic from communication is derived from the communication that focuses on the process
of communication itself. Here, ethics is possible because we can communicate good reasons for our
communicative actions, thereby gaining ethical knowledge in the process of communicating. An ethic
of communication uses a specific definition of communication as a basis for developing normative
standards for public and private discourse. Rather than imposing an external ethical code or proposing
norms for the communication process itself, it presumes that rhetoric or persuasion is good in itself.

Conclusion

Being an ethical communicator is defined as being honest, accurate, and truthful. This stems from a
person’s morals and values, and how people define what is “good or bad.” Every human interaction
involves communication and ethics, whether implicitly or explicitly. Intentional and unintentional
ethical dilemmas arise frequently in daily life.