Date of Award

Spring 5-3-2024

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Department/Major

Political Science

First Advisor

Dr. Timothy Schorn

Second Advisor

Dr. Janet Davison

Third Advisor

Ilmira Dulyanova

Keywords

Press freedom, media censorship, Russia, Ukraine, democracy

Subject Categories

Communication Technology and New Media | Comparative Politics | Journalism Studies | Mass Communication | Social Influence and Political Communication

Abstract

The Information Age has dramatically changed how people consume information. With the availability of smart devices and the Internet greater than ever before, a population’s ability to receive multiple news reports and instant messaging has continued to prove beneficial to democratic societies. With these same technology improvements, authoritarian governments have been forced to adapt censorship policies to eliminate the Information Age’s push towards the free press. Since the 20th century, authoritarian countries have introduced policy solutions to the growing connectivity across the globe. From the German Holocaust to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, censorship has aimed to control their population’s thoughts, speech, and actions. Much has changed since the Germans began using censorship policy as a strategic arm of their government. Today, parallels are seen in Russia beginning with Vladimir Putin’s reelection in 2011. This paper will provide a review these two countries’ censorship policies, and an analysis of civil societies’ success adapting to these policies to promote democratic ideals. By looking at available media technology with the corresponding censorship policy, results will exemplify the strategic policy used to hinder civil societies’ capacities. These results will provide better insight on civil societies’ ability to evade censorship policies and explain their role in advancing democratic principles.

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