Features of Censorship in Mass Media, the Internet and Cinema in the PRC

Censorship in the People’s Republic of China has started to form since the establishment of the state in 1949. At that time the government control over the mass media played a significant role in reinforcing the Party’s position in society. To date, it continues to perform this function, at the same time spreading to other spheres. The purpose of this paper is to identify the main features of censorship in press, television, the Internet and cinema in the PRC. First, the notion of censorship and its main types have been studied. Then, the development history of the state control over the mentioned areas and its current impact have been analyzed. Important to mention, that the study on modern censorship conditions is based on the effective law documents. In conclusion, it is inferred that censorship in the PRC has predominantly a political nature. It is always changing and adapting, but does not stop influencing the society.