Category Archives: Censorship

The FCC Should Get Out of the Business of Regulating Speech [Updated]

[Update 2017-05-23]: On Tuesday, May 23, the Federal Communications Commission issued a statement that it will not take any action against Stephen Colbert for a sexually-explicit joke [see below] that he made about Donald Trump on the May 1 episode of his show, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” According to Variety, which was the…

"Your Honor, This Woman Gave Birth to a Naked Child!" Robert Minor, Cartoon of Anthony Comstock (1915)

Trumpism is the New Comstockery [Guest Post]

By Dr. Amy Werbel Author of the forthcoming book Lust on Trial: American Art, Law, and Culture During the Reign of Anthony Comstock [Columbia University Press, 2018] A new word has entered common parlance and it bodes well for the future of democracy: Trumpism. The tendency of Donald Trump to run his campaign and his…

Cultivating a Culture of Cybersafety [Lecture]

2017-05-02 Cultivating a Culture of Cybersafety from Frederick Lane A presentation delivered at Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES on May 2, 2017. If you are interested in discussing a presentation or professional development program for your organization on this topic, please contact me for information regarding my rates and availability.

Art & Ethics: Censorship [Lecture]

2017-04-27 Art & Ethics: Censorship from Frederick Lane A presentation delivered to the Art & Ethics class at Fordham University on April 27, 2017. If you are interested in discussing a presentation or professional development program for your organization on this topic, please contact me for information regarding my rates and availability.

“Are We There Yet, Sisters?” Cindy Gallop and Julie Scelfo in Conversation

One of the great things about New York City is the endless number of lectures hosted by various organizations and institutions. Last night, I had the pleasure of attending an event hosted by the Brooklyn Historical Society. Entitled “Are We There Yet, Sisters,” the event featured a wide-ranging conversation between journalist Julie Scelfo and Cindy…

Cybertraps for Librarians [Lecture]

2016-06-21 Cybertraps for Librarians from Frederick Lane A presentation delivered via GoToMeeting on June 21, 2016 to the “Intellectual Freedom and Censorship” class at Simmons College, Boston, MA. Feedback from Dr. Laura Saunders, Assistant Professor at the Simmons School of Library and Information Science: Thank you for a fantastic lecture on the history of decency…

An N-Word to the Wise: Digital Stupidity Threatens College Acceptances, Scholarships, and Much More

Senior picture days are a well-established right of passage in American high schools. They are a great opportunity for students to demonstrate school spirit, to capture memories to be laughed over at reunions decades hence, and generally to celebrate the impending transition from childhood to quasi-independent adulthood. The photo at the top of this post,…

Simmons College Guest Class Lecture: “Intellectual Freedom and Censorship”

I had the pleasure of speaking this morning to students at the Simmons College School of Library and Information Services at the invitation of Assistant Professor Laura Saunders, who is teaching a summer course entitled “Intellectual Freedom and Censorship.” In her syllabus, Dr. Saunders describes the class as follows: This course provides students with in-depth…