Censorship

 

            The Haven Censorship Board serves to filter arts and entertainment in the various media, as well as journalistic output of same. The board is operated by the government and is not required by law to explain its decisions. However, those involved with the production of censored material may appeal board rulings within thirty days of receiving judgment.

            The board also reviews all imported media and may reject material deemed unsuitable for a Haven audience. All vamp films, books, music, etc. are vetted by the board before being permitted dissemination throughout the islands. Only a very small percentage of vamp media is allowed on the islands by the board, and much of this would be described as innocuous.

            Regardless of the board's existence and activities, uncensored materials in many forms continue to make their way throughout Haven society. In particular, among the younger generation, there is a thriving market for vamp books and films that have not been passed by the censorship board. Some of these have been variously described as: risqué, seditious, graphic, unseemly, pornographic, excessively violent, and without artistic merit of any sort. It is perhaps the illicit and scandalous nature of the material that makes it so appealing to the younger generation, though some have argued the true motivation behind the censoring of so much vamp media is not the actual content so much as the influence it is felt it may have on the Haven population. With the republic limited in the extent to which it can produce similar such media, it is feared that the ability to maintain a separate national identity may be compromised if citizens of Haven are too often exposed to the vamp way of life and the Nazi mindset.