Censorship

Censorship is the suppression or changing of speech or writing that is considered to be harmful to the public good. The concept derives from the Latin censor, an office that was established in Rome in 443 bce. The censor was responsible for conducting the census, that is, counting and registering Roman citizens, and had the authority to review the membership of the citizen body and its various social ranks, demoting those deemed morally unworthy. Thus, from its ancient origins, the concept of censorship had political connotations: through censorship the membership of the political community and the entrance to its institutions were regulated and controlled.