Mar 23 Book ban attempts reach record high in 2022, American Library Association report says By Hillel Italie, Associated Press The report released Thursday says more than 1,200 challenges were recorded by the association in 2022, nearly double the then-record total from 2021. Continue reading
Feb 27 As LGBTQ book challenges rise, some Louisiana librarians are scared to go to work By Roby Chavez Librarians in Louisiana are being targeted and facing harassment from conservative activists who want to ban or limit access to LGBTQ books in public libraries. Continue reading
Jan 07 China suspends social media accounts criticizing COVID policy By Associated Press China has suspended or closed the social media accounts of more than 1,000 critics of the government’s policies on the COVID-19 outbreak, as the country moves to roll back harsh anti-virus restrictions. Continue reading
Dec 01 Watch 4:41 Student reporters at odds with administrators over story in school newspaper Student reporters in Los Angeles recently found themselves in a difficult position. They were at odds with the administration at their magnet school, which specializes in journalism, over a report in the student-run newspaper. Autry Rozendal of our PBS NewsHour… Continue watching
Dec 01 Chinese users work to save protest content against massive censorship By Zen Soo, Associated Press Chinese authorities maintain a tight grip on the country’s internet via a complex, multi-layered censorship operation that blocks access. Videos of or calls to protest are usually deleted immediately. Continue reading
Oct 10 Watch 7:02 Who decides what is acceptable speech on social media platforms? By William Brangham, Dorothy Hastings There are questions once again about the future of Twitter and what it should and should not allow online. Specifically, how far should the company go when it comes to permitting free speech? What should be taken down when it… Continue watching
Aug 23 Watch 6:37 National debate over parental rights and censorship enters local school board races By Amna Nawaz School board elections are increasingly becoming proxies for the larger political culture wars on issues of race, gender and parental rights. Several states have recently implemented laws that critics say effectively ban books in schools and libraries. Kelly Jensen, an… Continue watching
Jul 01 Watch 6:07 China’s president visits Hong Kong 25 years after the end of British rule By Richard Kimber, Dan Sagalyn, Zeba Warsi Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Hong Kong to lead official celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the territory’s handover from Britain to China. Over the last three years, Hong Kong’s authorities now say it marks the start of a brighter… Continue watching
May 10 Coalition of librarians, teachers and publishers forms to fight book bans By Associated Press The American Library Association, the American Federation of Teachers and more than a dozen other organizations have formed a coalition to fight the nationwide wave of book bans and challenges. Continue reading
Apr 06 Watch 9:07 Push to purge some books from schools highlights nation’s cultural schism By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport, Alison Thoet A new report from the American Library Association shows that attempts to ban books in the U.S. surged last year to the highest level since the group began tracking book challenges 20 years ago. According to the study, most of… Continue watching