The impact of censorship on creative industries (PDF)

Essay from the year 2009 in the subject Communications - Miscellaneous, grade: 1.3, Central Queensland University, course: Creative Industries, language: English, abstract: Censorship can be a grey area and that is usually because what is under contention of being censored is far from black and white. The ramifications of this contention is of most interest to the Creative Industries as it may have a direct effect on the kind of content that governing bodies allow to be distributed, which in turn affects commercial viability and therefore production. There are the artists who may produce art for art's sake, though there remains an indeterminate amount seeking remuneration from their efforts through sales and exhibitions. When their work or part of their work is suddenly deemed inappropriate by the law, the resulting controversy often results in publicity, a concept Art Photographer Bill Henson is no stranger to.

It is somewhat difficult to comprehend who or what is controlling the definition of art and its place in the cultural life of Australia. The manifestation of governmental and public opinion surrounding specific case studies can distinguish publicity from the constant reconstruction of culture, apropos the importance of the re-educating of governing bodies upholding the opinion of the public by the public themselves. Representing a fair spectrum, we have the publicly denounced work of Bill Henson and arguably one of the most controversial films of the decade, Ken Park, with its positive appraisal fiercely contesting only recently updated censorship laws. The battleground for these fights for cultural integrity is the media, the most public and least bias of course being the internet, though the internet in Australia is currently in the process of becoming censored itself! As though product from the creative industries were not being censored enough, the almost alarming concern the government is so compassionately exhibiting for all of our welfare may just be impacting industries in more ways than just what is appropriate to expose to a morally deteriorating or protection-dependant public.