From banned books to freedom of speech in academic settings, censorship is a topic that affects the everyday lives of young people. 

This week, UnTextbooked producer and college student Karly Shepherd talks to Eric Berkowitz, human rights lawyer, journalist and author. His latest book “Dangerous Ideas: A Brief History of Censorship from the Ancients to Fake News” covers about 2,000 years of censorship history. Censorship has existed since the dawn of language, consistently targeting themes like sex, religion and politics. But why does censorship exist? And does censorship even work? 

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Show notes: 

(00:00) - What can London Drill Music have to do with Censorship?

(02:00) - China’s first emperor Qin Shi Huang 

(07:11) - Limits of Free Speech in Athens and Ancient Greece

(13:58) - The Comstock Act and Censorship

(15:34) - Social Media, The Supreme Court and Freedom of Speech Today

(24:06) - Why Censorship Never Works