In both of the world wars information was censored in order to stop important data getting into the wrong hands and to keep up morale in the public. Often photographs and news was circulated that portrayed a completley different story to what was really going on. Pictures of bomb-wrecked homes and the dead were not allowed to be shown, replaced with pictures of apparent victory over the enemy and smiling faces. Since the public had few ways to find out what was going on, they had to trust that what they were being told was true. Even letters from soldiers were censored; information about the true horrors of war having been removed and even replaced with lies about how they were having a good time!
Today, if we were to be placed in the same situation, technological advances and the democratisation of journalism (everyone having an equal chance to have their say and, in a sense, become a journalist.) would mean censorship would be ineffective.
If discussion boards exist for trivial topics, its clear that many millions of blogs, chat room topics and discussion boards would spring up over new information and advances in the war. The entire public would know where the fighting was taking place, the people involved, who was winning, the damage done, the names of the dead...The government would have no way of controlling the spread of information.
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