The New Censorship (How the War on the Media is Taking Us Down)

A ground-breaking guide to how the media's self-censorship in the face of populist politics threatens democracy.

'Riveting' - Arash Azizi, The Atlantic
'Exceptional' - Michael Hauser-Tov, Haaretz
'Profound, compelling, and fascinating' - Emily Maitlis, The News Agents

'A must-read' - Professor Silvio Waisbord, former president of the International Communication Association

As we find ourselves in a time of democratic decay all over the world, with relentless attempts to undermine truth and facts and unprecedented technological tools to spread disinformation and incite violence, brave journalism is needed more than ever.

In The New Censorship esteemed academic, former journalist and activist Ayala Panievsky focuses on the unfortunate and unexpected mechanisms through which today's media has inadvertently amplified the anti-democratic movement that looms over our societies. From the birth of 'the strategic bias' to weaponising liberal norms against liberal democracy, the populist right has found a way to exercise a more effective and socially acceptable type of silencing and manipulation. Instead of banning stories, they spread flows of disinformation, which take hours and days to debunk. Instead of silencing, they shout louder. Instead of blue-pencilling, they employ fake users, bots, and outrageous smear campaigns to dominate the conversation. Heavy-handed censorship is unnecessary when one can manipulate people to censor themselves, or simply stop listening.

Based on cutting-edge empirical research, personal experience in newsrooms and parliament corridors and a decade of living under populism in power in Israel, Panievsky will not only explain how we got here but also lay out what we all could (and should) do to restart the conversation and protect our right to know.

Reviews

Don't miss this fascinating, rivetingly written book! -- Arash Azizi, The Atlantic

Ayala Panievsky's new book is exceptional. It's almost the only text that delves into the question of what journalists can actually do to better deal with populists - and to my great surprise, it will be as compelling to journalists' viewers and listeners. -- Michael Hauser-Tov, Haaretz

Ayala puts the public's right to know at the heart of her argument. And she shows that failure 'to know' can, literally, kill you. [...] Her arguments are profound, compelling, and fascinating. And as ever, I read her words with awe, and a deep gratitude I can call her my inspiration - but also, my friend. -- Emily Maitlis, The News Agents

The New Censorship is a thoughtful, well-researched and compellingly personal analysis of the playbook for tyranny. As Ayala Panievsky makes clear, the media is far too often complicit in its own destruction, largely by treating the destabilizing propaganda of right-wing regimes as legitimate press. That failure to recognize and counter an existential challenge has grave consequences for more than one nation. -- James LaRue author of On Censorship

Panievsky's book is an important, necessary, masterful study of how anti-democratic movements persecute and censor media dissent, and how journalists respond to attacks. With original insights and lively writing, the book closely examines common threads across countries, and delivers a persuasive argument on how the 'new censorship' works. A must-read for anyone interested in understanding the multiple challenges that contemporary journalism confronts. -- Professor Silvio Waisbord, former president of the International Association of Communication