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in support of free expression
All content © 1999 - 2006 The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC).
Information presented here may be freely redistributed in its entirety,
provided that credit is given to the appropriate source. Information found here
may not be sold for profit or incorporated in commercial documents without
the written permission of the National Coalition Against Censorship.
UPDATED MAY 10 2008
©Copyright 2005 NCAC
WEB DESIGN
Jeanne Criscola
Criscola Design
Censorship News #106
A "Presumption in Favor of Secrecy"
Our democratic process is jeopardized today by an environment of government secrecy that denies the public and even lawmakers access to the information necessary to make sound decisions.
action
NCAC Supports the 'Libel Terrorism Protection Act'
NCAC urges New York Governor David Paterson to sign into law a bill that would protect Americans from defamation judgments rendered abroad when the laws under which they are decided do not protect freedom of speech to the same extent as the First Amendment.
action
Protect Science Whistleblowers
NCAC has joined with the Union of Concerned Scientists and other groups in calling for legal protections for scientists in federal agencies who speak out about issues of public concern like fraud, waste, corruption, as well as health and safety risks. Read a statement signed by over 50 organizations across the political spectrum in support of whistleblower protections for scientists.
action
Author Julia Alvarez Speaks Out Against Censorship
Following parents’ objections to sexual themes in Julia Alvarez’s How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, the book was banned from Johnston County, NC, classrooms and school libraries. NCAC interviewed Alvarez, asking about her reactions to the book ban and her experiences with censorship.
action
NCAC Protests Cancellation of Play in Oregon
A middle school play about bullying was canceled in Sherwood, OR because the principal claims its “content exceeds the maturity of many of [Sherwood Middle School] students.” NCAC discovered this decision was also made in response to parental complaints about homosexual themes in the play. Read NCAC’s letter to the principal, related articles, and a copy of the offending play to see what you think.
issues
NCAC Responds to Challenges to The Golden Compass
A national Catholic group is urging parents to keep their children from seeing the new film, The Golden Compass, for fear that it will encourage kids to read the book, which they condemn as anti-Christian. NCAC tracks and responds to the challenges and offers a tool kit with references for students, teachers, librarians, and others to oppose book challenges and protect their freedom to read.
action
Free Speech Groups Condemn Proposed Rating System for Books
NCAC and five other groups supporting intellectual freedom protest a recent proposal to institute a rating system for books in Kanawha County, WV. The policy was suggested following the removal of two novels by Pat Conroy from Advanced Placement (AP) English classes at Nitro High School.
news
Academic Freedom Under Pressure
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's recent appearance at a Columbia University forum is a casy study in academic freedom, demonstrating why even offensive views should be aired and openly debated. NCAC examines the controversy, and deplores the veiled threats by a NY State assemblyman that Columbia should be "punished" for exercising freedom of academic inquiry and expression.
issues
Suppressing Dissent By the Book
An ACLU lawsuit has brought to light the "Presidential Advance Manual," the Bush Administration's playbook for insulating the President and the press from criticism at public events. It instructs Secret Service and law enforcement to "designate a protest area ... preferably not in view of the event site or motorcade route."
Update
New York Mayor's Office to Ease Filming/Photography Permit Rules
The proposal was revised after a passionate outcry over the summer from photographers, filmmakers and civil libertarians concerned that the original rules would have a chilling effect on the work of independent photographers, film and video artists.
issues
Supreme Court Rules Against Student Speech
The Court's ruling in Morse v. Frederick is a blow to students' First Amendment rights. Read news & commentary on the case and its potentially damaging outcome.
Publications
Censoring Culture
In Censoring Culture: Contemporary Threats to Free Expression, Svetlana Mintcheva — head of NCAC's Arts Advocacy Program — and art historian Robert Atkins bring together the latest thinking from art historians, cultural theorists, legal scholars, and psychoanalysts, as well as first-person accounts by artists and advocates, to give us a comprehensive understanding of censorship in a new century. You can purchase a copy now in the NCAC Store. Click here to read the table of contents and introduction.
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