ABSTRACT
Historical and cultural contexts are always reflected in media regulation. Definitions of what requires regulation, and approaches to regulation vary from country to country. Regulation can be in the form of censorship as in the case of India’s Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) presented here; or as in the U.S. Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) ratings system. This chapter offers a study of complexities in media regulation in India, the world’s largest democracy.
Media regulation and censorship are always influenced by historical, cultural, and social sensitivities. As a way of securing or promoting their vision of co-existence in diverse pluralistic societies, government authorities engage in media censorship.
