Notes

'Minecraft' Library Helps You Dodge News Media Censorship

There are numerous ways to evade censorship of the press, but it's getting increasingly difficult as countries like China and Russia are securing VPNs and similar tools. Reporters Without Borders thinks it has the answer to those growing challenges: make news accessible in a way that isn't often blocked. The team has worked with BlockWorks and MediaMonks on the Uncensored Library, a Minecraft map that contains stories from journalists and other sites whose work is frequently removed from the game due to their unflattering facts. There are articles about the murdered Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi (whose wife Hatice Cengiz has endorsed the project) and the activist-friendly Russian site Grani.ru and the Egyptian anti-corruption site Mada Masr, among others.



You can also get information on the current situation of press freedom in 180 countries.



The library is a technical accomplishment in its own right. More It is a massive neo-classical library with large collection of books and a specific section for each country. You can't tear the library apart however, you can add more when you have the time and desire.



Reporters Without Borders believes the Uncensored Library should be relatively resilient. Anyone can download the map, and Minecraft's nature makes it easy to host a second server in the event that an oppressive government attempts to shut one down. This won't last forever, however. Countries that already have strict measures to control censorship won't think twice about banning Minecraft completely -- this may be a temporary relief.



However, that's not the idea behind it. This is also a commentary on the issue of censorship, as well as a way to inform people who would not think about such a difficult subject. If it can inspire a small number of Minecraft players to support press freedom or pursue investigative reporting as a profession then it has accomplished its goal.


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