Topic

Media & Censorship

A collection of 19 issues

The Agency's Fable: When the CIA Animated 'Animal Farm'

To weaponize George Orwell's anti-authoritarian masterpiece for the Cold War, the CIA secretly bought the film rights to 'Animal Farm' and funded its 1954 animated adaptation, changing the famously bleak ending into a call for revolutionary action.

History Politics & Power Media & Censorship

An Onion for Uncle Sam: The Unlikely Naval Project That Built the Anonymous Internet

To protect its spies online, the U.S. Navy created a powerful anonymizing tool. The only problem? A network of only spies is easy to spot. Their radical solution was to release it to the world, creating the foundation for the anonymous web we know today.

Technology & Innovation Military Technology & Strategy Media & Censorship

Project Disenchantment: The CIA's 1950s Campaign to Make UFOs Boring

In 1953, the CIA's secret Robertson Panel concluded UFOs weren't a direct threat, but public hysteria was. Fearing clogged communication channels and enemy propaganda, they recommended a national debunking campaign using mass media to strip the topic of its mystery.

History Politics & Power Media & Censorship

Error 451: How the Internet Protests Censorship with a Nod to Ray Bradbury

Beyond '404 Not Found' is a code with a story: 451 Unavailable For Legal Reasons. It signals that content is blocked not by a glitch, but by a legal demand. Its number, a direct homage to Ray Bradbury's 'Fahrenheit 451,' makes it a transparent, albeit quiet, act of protest against censorship.

Technology & Innovation Media & Censorship Literature & Books

The Comedy King Who Was Canceled: How a False Accusation Destroyed Roscoe Arbuckle's Career

Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle was a silent film titan who mentored Charlie Chaplin and launched Buster Keaton. His career, however, was obliterated by a media frenzy following a false accusation, despite being acquitted in court three times. His story is a chilling tale of trial by media.

Biography & Personal Stories Entertainment & Media Media & Censorship

Art vs. The FBI: The Story of Frank Iero's Song That Triggered a Federal Investigation

In 2009, My Chemical Romance guitarist Frank Iero’s side project, Leathermouth, released a song with a provocative title that landed him on an FBI watchlist. This is the story of artistic expression colliding with national security, resulting in a home search, a ban, and punk-rock defiance.

Music Media & Censorship Biography & Personal Stories

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