Latest Censorship News

Iowa book ban prompts disclaimers on Little Free Library exchanges

Sep. 29, 2023 13:59 PM EDT

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — State restrictions on books that can be made available to Iowa students have prompted some Des Moines-area school districts to post disclaimers on Little Free Libraries. Earlier this year the Iowa Legislature approved a law that bans books that describe...

As China censors homegrown feminism, a feminist scholar from Japan is on its bestseller lists

Sep. 29, 2023 00:15 AM EDT

HONG KONG (AP) — In the last few years, China’s government has promoted increasingly conservative social values, encouraging women to focus on raising children. It has cracked down on civil society movements and made laws to drive out foreign influence. So a 75-year-old Japanese...

Florida school district orders removal of all books with gay characters before slightly backing off

Sep. 27, 2023 16:14 PM EDT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Top officials at a Florida school district ordered the removal of all books and material containing LBGTQ+ characters and themes from classrooms and campus libraries, saying that was needed to conform to a state law backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that critics have dubbed...

Editorial Roundup: Florida

Sep. 27, 2023 13:22 PM EDT

South Florida Sun Sentinel. September 24, 2023. Editorial: Florida’s far-right schools activist is a well-kept secret Twenty-three days. That’s how long Florida took to provide the most basic information about a man pulling down a six-figure public salary and...

A Turkish film festival has been threatened by accusations of censorship

Sep. 27, 2023 12:19 PM EDT

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s oldest film festival has been thrown into turmoil after jury members resigned and filmmakers withdrew their work from the competition over accusations of censorship. The producers and directors of 27 entries at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival on...

California governor signs law barring schoolbook bans based on racial, gender teachings

Sep. 25, 2023 22:51 PM EDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday to ban school boards from rejecting textbooks based on their teachings about the contributions of people from different racial backgrounds, sexual orientations and gender identities. Newsom called the...

NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week

Sep. 22, 2023 14:41 PM EDT

A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts: ___ Viral video shows...

A Batman researcher said 'gay' in a talk to schoolkids. When asked to censor himself, he quit

Sep. 20, 2023 10:10 AM EDT

ATLANTA (AP) — Marc Tyler Nobleman was supposed to talk to kids about the secret co-creator of Batman, with the aim of inspiring young students in suburban Atlanta's Forsyth County to research and write. Then the school district told him he had to cut a key point from his...

Conservative book ban push fuels library exodus from national association that stands up for books

Sep. 05, 2023 07:35 AM EDT

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — After parents in a rural and staunchly conservative Wyoming county joined nationwide pressure on librarians to pull books they considered harmful to youngsters, the local library board obliged with new policies making such books a higher priority for removal — and keeping...

RFK Jr. denies making antisemitic comments as congressional Republicans give him a platform

Jul. 20, 2023 13:30 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. worked to defend himself Thursday against accusations that he traffics in racist and hateful online conspiracy theories, testifying at a House hearing on government censorship despite requests from outside groups to disinvite the Democratic presidential...