Notes

'Minecraft' Library Helps You Dodge News Media Censorship

There are a myriad of ways to evade censorship of the press but it's becoming more difficult as countries like China and Russia are securing VPNs and similar tools. Minecraft server hosting Reporters Without Borders thinks it has the solution to these mounting obstacles: make the news available through a game that's rarely blocked. The group has collaborated with BlockWorks and MediaMonks on the Uncensored Library, a Minecraft map that features news articles from journalists and websites whose work is frequently censored for its unflattering truths. Articles from Jamal Khashoggi, a murdered journalist from Saudi Arabia, Hatice Cengiz supports this project, Grani.ru, an activist-friendly Russian website and Mada Masr (an Egyptian anti-corruption outlet) as well as others.



You can also find out more on the current situation of press freedom in 180 countries.



The library is a technical achievement in its own. It resembles a huge neo-classical library that has large book collections and country-specific wings. The library cannot be taken apart, but you can add to it when you have the time.



Reporters Without Borders believes that the Uncensored Library should have a high level of resilience. Anyone can download the necessary map, and Minecraft's nature allows it to host a second server in the event that an oppressive country attempts to shut it down. We don't expect this to be lasting forever, mind you. Countries that already have severe censorship policies aren't likely to think twice about bans on Minecraft in whole-heartedly -- this may be just a temporary reprieve.



But that's not the point. It's also a commentary about censorship , and a means to let people get involved in difficult issues. If it can inspire a small number of Minecraft players to support freedom of the press or pursue investigative journalism as a career the game will have fulfilled its goal.


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