The Database

Beacon contains nearly 50,000 references for censored books and newspapers, as well as literature on censorship and freedom of expression. The goal of the database is to document historic & current censorship in a global perspective. Although extensive, this reference tool is hardly complete. Beacon welcomes new partners with access to information on documented cases of censorship and other relevant literature on censorship and freedom of expression.

What is registered in the database?

Recently censored books and newspapers, broadcasts and internet sites
Censored books and newspapers from selected historical periods and historic cases
International literature on censorship and freedom of expression

What are the criteria for inclusion in the database?

The books, newspapers, radio/television broadcasts & websites registered in the Beacon database have been censored:

• On moral, religious or political grounds
• By a state, governing authority or state-related body

Censored books and media in a global perspective

The censored titles in the database comprise more than 40 languages. Many of the books have long been out of print but may still be obtainable, particularly through national libraries. For the convenience of users, the source and place of access for each item is cited. There are references to drama, radio, television, the internet, libraries and the press. The entries are also representative of different historical periods and countries, and address moral, political and religious aspects of censorship. In addition to scholarly literature, this database references various national government white papers on censorship legislation, as well as reports and documents from the UN Human Rights Committee.

Censorship of books and newspapers worldwide during the last decade

Independent freedom of expression organisations have expertly managed the daily global monitoring and documentation of censorship and other threats to freedom of expression for half a century. International PEN, established already in 1921, represents the oldest of such organisations. The excellent monitoring may be attributed to the engagement of freedom of expression, press, and authors’ organisations in the ongoing struggle against media censorship.

International Freedom of Expression eXchange Clearing House (IFEX), established in 1992, is a network of some of the world’s leading freedom of expression organisations. IFEX manages a daily electronic service of alerts. Member organisations report threats to freedom of expression and IFEX consolidates the reports, disseminating them to their large network, which includes the Beacon database. The content of the alerts range from reported violence, torture and murder targeting journalists, authors and others to the banning of books, newspapers, and broadcasts. The alerts may also include information about the introduction of new media-laws and the blocking of internet sites. The IFEX reports naturally represent an invaluable source for the Beacon database, however only the banned and prohibited newspapers, books, broadcasts and internet sites are included in the database.

Index Librorum Prohibitorum (1564)Index Librorum Prohibitorum (1564)

Censorship of books and newspapers from selected historical periods and countries

Most of the nearly 50,0000 items in the database are historical cases of censorship. They represent historic periods of censorship in specific countries and regions. The Roman Inquisition’s lists Index Librorum Prohibitorum, first issued in 1559, are regarded as the earliest systematically kept records of prohibited literature. The last of the 20 voluminous lists was published in 1948 and was suppressed as recently as 1966. These lists are exceptional, inasmuch as comprehensive data on censored items in a global perspective before the 19th century are very rare. Consequently it is unlikely that records of pre-19th century censored items can ever be comprehensive.

Publications on censorship and freedom of expression worldwide

Literature on censorship and freedom of expression constitutes an invaluable body of knowledge. Thus Beacon’s database of censorship literature also represents an essential reference tool, made possible thanks to the excellence of the international sources, in particular national and university libraries.

In total 30 selected countries were represented in the first stage of the Beacon database project. The initial cases selected for the database included, among others, Spain, Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Malawi, Norway, Poland, Peru, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, USA and the Index Librorum.

A global and historical perspective

The countries represent different cultures, political histories and religions. They include countries as large as USA and Canada, and as small as Lithuania and Norway. Their histories span from Denmark to South Africa. The final choice of countries also depended on the possibilities of cooperation with relevant professional groups, institutions and organizations in the respective countries.

As Norwegian organizations initiated the Beacon project, Norway’s history of censorship was naturally included. Self-criticism remains the best foundation for criticizing others; furthermore unlike many other countries, Norway had accessible censorship records. There were accessible records of suppressed books from Norway’s early history of printing, as well as complete records of censored books and illegal publishing during the Nazi occupation of Norway during World War II.

In some countries records of censorship are easily available. In the USA for example the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom regularly publishes lists of challenged books in libraries. In other countries however the task of tracking or accessing the information proved too demanding for Beacon’s otherwise enthusiastic partners. Regrettably, the Norwegian Forum for Freedom of Expression NFFE did not have adequate resources to conduct all of the extensive work needed. This was a challenge to data collection in many newly independent countries. As a consequence, continents such as Africa, Asia and the Americas were underrepresented when Beacon for Freedom of Expression was launched.

Historic cases span borders and historical periods

Particular countries and periods were selected for the Beacon database. Metaphorically speaking, brutal and often fanatical censorship has covered Europe like a huge blanket for centuries. As a first priority NFFE chose to document some of the most extensive periods of censorship in Western history: the Roman Catholic Church, the former Soviet Union, and the Nazi regime of Germany during World War II. All three historic periods of brutal censorship had devastating effects on countless victims and in many countries.

The banning of books by the Roman Catholic Church lasted for 400 years. This censorship was not only effective in all European Catholic countries, but it was also exported to the conquered Americas. Index Librorum Prohibitorum not only has great historical significance, but it also proves that religious fundamentalism is not a modern phenomenon. In a different historic case, the strict and systematically detailed censorship in the former Soviet Union lasted for most of last century. Furthermore it was effective in all republics and occupied countries. The equally deadly censorship in Nazi Germany also extended to all occupied countries (1940-45). These censorship periods were extensive because of their duration and their enforcement across territories and political borders.

Some countries, such as Poland, have been subjected to both religious and political censorship for extensive periods of their history. Censorship has always been bravely resisted, and not least in Poland, boasting a vibrant and enduring culture of illegal publishing (samizdat). During WW II, resistance against oppression was also vigilant in occupied countries such as Denmark and Norway. The so-called illegal press was well-organized and flourished, playing a vital role in peoples’ struggle for freedom from occupation, and should be regarded as an inseparable part of the world history of censorship.

Censorship on religious grounds is certainly not merely a concern of the past, neither is political censorship. History has a tendency to repeat itself, and censorship proves no exception to the rule. Today’s authors and journalists, editors and publishers are still victims of severe censorship in many countries, often in the Southern hemisphere. New technology has opened a host of new communication channels for professionals and the general public. Censorship has been lifted in many countries; views on freedom of expression, as well as on political, religious and moral issues seem increasingly liberal in many societies. Nevertheless some governments and religious authorities around the world still keenly practice censorship. Today the internet has become a world stage for a veritable “cat and mouse” game amongst governments, citizens, writers and information providers.One example is Iran.

Our world may never be rid of deadly attacks on free expression; perhaps not all UN member states will fully practice the principles of Article 19 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights. Even so, we must never stop demanding positive change.

Beacon for Freedom of Expression was designed as a tool of knowledge, intended to provide a comparative view of censorship throughout the world. Furthermore the database serves as a reminder of the vital importance of freedom of expression and free access to information for societies of the world. However inconvenient free expression may be —and regardless of the angry debates that it may trigger—freedom of expression will remain the cornerstone of democracy and a people’’s best defense against suppression.

Mette Newth
Oslo 2010

Most countries in the world have a history of censorship. Although most countries also keep records of their censorship, the detailed information is not always easily available, at least not to the general public. The reasons may be many, from lack of funds to make the data accessible, to lost records or reluctance on the part of the authorities responsible for censorship.

Why should records of censorship be publicly available?

The obvious answer is that history may teach us (authorities included) not to repeat mistakes of the past. But other reasons are also pertinent, for one, the principle of transparency. Detailed records of censorship tell their own stories, sometimes of the extreme zealousness of censoring bureaucrats or the deliberate destruction of a people’s language and cultural heritage.

Making public the hidden records of censorship was also important to the Beacon for Freedom of Expression project for another reason; the detailed records would represent a symbolic monument to the many writers that were silenced throughout history, their literary works often lost forever.

Finding historical records on censorship

The historical records on censored or prohibited books and newspapers are often held by government bodies or university and national libraries. In 1997-98, the Norwegian Forum for Freedom of Expression (NFFE) conducted a world-wide survey of international and national government agencies, national libraries, academic institutions, and human rights organizations among others, to map the state of available records of censored printed material, and also to establish partnerships.

The response to the project and to the invitation of cooperation was indeed positive. Nevertheless, the state of complete and available records of censorship varied greatly amongst continents and countries. NFFE found that in far too many cases, information only existed on paper lists or in manual archives. This was indeed the situation in many libraries in countries that had recently emerged from the extensive and strict censorship of the former USSR. More surprisingly, in some countries even centuries-old censorship remained a sensitive issue, mainly for government bodies, but occasionally also for libraries.

Based on results of the survey and the response from partners, NFFE began collecting detailed historical data on censored books and newspapers, and detailed data on publications concerning aspects of censorship and freedom of expression historically, from national and international sources.

Collecting all relevant data from countries was an immensely demanding task for all parties involved. The risk of not achieving this goal was great in a number of countries, so NFFE selected 30 countries from different continents to document censored books and newspapers through the ages. NFFE provided the administration and funded all basic costs for making the data available in English on the Beacon for Freedom of Expression website, recognizing that the cost of transferring paper archives of forbidden literature to online databases would be impossible for many a library or organization to undertake alone. NFFE worked in close cooperation with the information providers through the whole process. The experiences gathered during the process were used to adjust future methods of data collection and collaboration.

Mette Newth
Norway 2010