Government Employee Slams Australian Government for Censoring His 'Blog on How COVID-19 Helped Tech Companies

A federal civil servant who also contributes to a blog site is stripped away from his job and career in the national public service because of a piece he wrote about the relationship of technology companies and the Novel coronavirus. Josh Krook admits that his blogpost was non-controversial.

Josh Krook was recently stripped of his title and post in the federal public service in Australia's industry department because of a blog post. According to The Guardian, the particular post mainly tackled the Novel coronavirus changing the landscape of the world and led to a reliance on technology.

The newly established blog site, Oxford Political Review, contained Krook's piece, which he submitted and published last April. Krook claims that the blogpost was uncontroversial and impartial of all technology companies.

He presented a view on how social isolation and disconnection from the outside world benefitted technological companies that mainly focuses on giving online services to connect people seamlessly. Krook did not imagine that writing about the situation the world currently faces, and its correlation to technology could cost him his job.

Krook also mentioned that his post tackled generalities and presented a view of the increasing dependence on the digital world. The post did not mention any companies, individuals, or even the Australian government or its existing rules, prohibitions, or policies.

Josh Krook also defended that his post did not conflict with his then-current status as a civil servant. Three months after his April blogpost, Krook was invited to a meeting that included his superiors.

Censorship in the Australian Government?

Krook's superiors mentioned that his blog post could potentially damage the government's relationship and image with the present frontrunners in the technological industry. The blogpost he publicized would be easily found by the technology companies and will refuse to work with their country.

He was then told that his article would be fine if he did not become impartial and wrote "good things" about the companies he generalized. Later, Krook was asked to take down the article, which he did initially by contacting the blog editor.

Krook realized that what he was asked to is to go against his ethics and principles as a writer. Despite his neutral side and take on the article, he was still criticized and asked to remove the post. With this happening, Josh Krook decided to quit his job and campaigned about the form of censorship that he experienced.

Censorship and its threat to the 'Free Press'

The word censorship is mainly associated with the 'free press' or freedom of the press movements that aim to remove the liberty of a journalist or a news agency in delivering the news.

Censorship is done in lots of elements found on the mass media, and some are not threats to freedom. Censorship can be used to blur suggestive and 'R'-rated images or clips and inappropriate curse words that are uttered. These censorship types help protect the young and innocent audience from the vulgar objects in the media.

However, censorship to the "free press," which are protected by some state policies and the constitution is a direct suppression and attack against the liberty of delivering various types of information to the public. Censorship in the press has caused several news agencies and journalists harm in doing their jobs.

The suppression is a form of controlling the press and shaping the audience's opinions and views using powerful mediums.