Censorship and Whistleblowing, Lesson 2
Lesson 2: Fact-Finding Task
Focus: How do real-world examples of censorship and whistleblowing highlight tensions between ethics, power, and knowledge?
Suggested length: 1 hour
Learning objectives:
- Analyze real-world cases of censorship and whistleblowing.
- Evaluate the cases’ ethical implications, power dynamics, and impact on knowledge sharing.
| Critical Thinking Concepts | TOK Concepts | Reflection Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Confronting Biases and Assumptions: Analyze how ethical justifications for censorship or whistleblowing can be influenced by societal and political biases. Exploring Contexts: Examine how governments, corporations, and individuals use censorship and whistleblowing to maintain or challenge power. Responsiveness and Flexibility of Thought: Adjust arguments about the ethicality of censorship or whistleblowing as new evidence or perspectives emerge. | Perspectives: How do whistleblowers and those enforcing censorship present different viewpoints on the ethical implications of their actions? Bias and Power: Who controls what knowledge is censored or exposed, and how do these decisions reflect power dynamics? Justification: What counts as a valid justification for censorship or whistleblowing, and how do we evaluate the reliability of these justifications? | How does this case shape your understanding of the balance between censorship, whistleblowing, and ethical responsibility? Are certain types of knowledge (e.g., classified information, hate speech) always justifiable to censor or expose? Why or why not? How should societies navigate the tension between protecting individual freedoms and ensuring collective safety? |
Resources and Preparation
- Slides, attached below.
- Students will need access to their Kialo discussions from Lesson 1.
- Ensure students complete the homework preparation task.
- Videos/readings accompanying the case studies of your choice should be viewed in advance.
Homework Preparation Task
Case Study Task
Divide students into small groups and assign each group a case study relating to censorship and whistleblowing. There are suggestions listed below.
Groups explore their assigned case using provided resources (articles, videos, or curated primary sources).
Students prepare a short (5–10 min) presentation in response to the following questions:
- What is the knowledge being censored or exposed?
- Who controls the dominant narrative, and why?
- What ethical justifications or challenges exist for the censorship/whistleblowing?
- How do power structures, cultural values, or political goals shape the knowledge in this case?
- Is the censorship or whistleblowing justifiable? Why or why not?
Case Study Options
China’s Great Firewall
- Focus: Government-imposed internet censorship.
- Task: Analyze the ethical and power dynamics of restricting access to global information and platforms.
- Resources: Freedom House reports, examples of suppressed protests like Tiananmen Square, Deepseek and its implications on knowledge formation.
Edward Snowden and NSA Leaks
- Focus: Whistleblowing about government surveillance.
- Task: Evaluate the ethical justifications for Snowden’s actions versus the U.S. government’s claims about national security.
- Resources: Articles from The Guardian, interviews with Snowden, Freedom of the Press Foundation.
Book Bans in U.S. Schools
- Focus: Local censorship of literature due to ideological or moral concerns.
- Task: Investigate how cultural values shape censorship decisions and their impact on freedom of thought.
- Resources: ALA reports on banned books, Freedom to Read Foundation.
Facebook and Myanmar Genocide
- Focus: Social media platforms’ role in censorship and propaganda.
- Task: Examine Facebook’s decision to censor hate speech related to the Rohingya crisis and its ethical implications.
- Resources: UN reports, Facebook’s statements on content moderation.
Wikileaks and Julian Assange
- Focus: Whistleblowing through mass document leaks.
- Task: Explore whether Wikileaks’ exposure of classified information serves the public good or compromises national security.
- Resources: Wikileaks archives, Amnesty International reports.
Turkey’s Media Crackdown
- Focus: Censorship of journalists and media outlets.
- Task: Analyze how government censorship suppresses dissent and how whistleblowers attempt to challenge these restrictions.
- Resources: Reports from Human Rights Watch, Committee to Protect Journalists.
- Turkey saw crackdown on journalists escalate in Q4, with dozens behind bars: report - Turkish Minute
- In Turkey, Erdoğan’s Crackdown on the Free Press Intensifies - Nieman Reports
- Freedom House and partner organizations call for action as press freedom violations surge in Turkey in 2025 | Freedom House
Introduction
Recap key arguments from the Lesson 1 discussion on censorship ethics.
- Who decides what is censored?
- How does censorship impact individual freedoms?
Present the central question: "How do censorship and whistleblowing reflect ethical concerns and power structures?"
Explain that in today's lesson, students will investigate examples of censorship and whistleblowing to deepen their understanding of power structures and ethics.
Main Activity
Presentations
Students present their case studies to the class.
Students should take note of any useful points from other groups’ presentations to use in the Kialo discussion.
Recording Findings in a Kialo discussion
Students use their case study and their peers’ presentations to update and substantiate their arguments in their Kialo discussion “Can censorship ever be justified?” from the previous session, focusing on:
- Key conflict or alignment between ethics and power.
- Examples of bias or justification.
- Key takeaways about censorship and whistleblowing.
Reflection Activity
Discuss the following reflection questions in open discussion or exit ticket format, connecting the cases to TOK concepts of bias, power, perspectives, justification, and responsibility:
- How does this case shape your understanding of the balance between censorship, whistleblowing, and ethical responsibility?
- Are certain types of knowledge (e.g., classified information, hate speech) always justifiable to censor or expose? Why or why not?
- How should societies navigate the tension between protecting individual freedoms and ensuring collective safety?
