“15 most censored countries with the highest internet and media censorship in the world are keeping their nationals in the dark. They are paradigmatic examples of the lack of media freedom. There is no question that the media plays an important role in shaping our perception of the world. This has always been the case, but perhaps nowadays even more as we have access to the internet. We have a wide array of media outlets to choose from, millions of sources of information to refer to in order to satisfy our curiosity. Simply put, we are given complete freedom to choose the particles that, put together, create lenses through which we see the world. It is precisely because of the media’s role in shaping our views that the media freedom should be an imperative every society should adhere to. ”

To illustrate the importance the media plays in our lives, it would suffice to ask ourselves one simple question: “When was the last time I lived through a day without reading or listening to any news?” You and I are both aware that we have entered into a symbiotic relationship with the media over the past few decades. The popularity of social networks certainly contributed to our easier access to information. To state that the role of media is insignificant would be an utter nonsense. While liberal societies strive for an independent media which will provide their nationals with impartial information, governments of oppressive regimes use it to their advantage to the full extent. The above text is an excerpt from Insider Monkey’s article on 15 most censored countries with the highest internet and media censorship in the world, where the author focuses on precisely this issue, how media censorship is used by the oppressive regimes. To see which countries have adopted media censorship as an imperative, check out the article.