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'Minecraft' Library Helps You Dodge News Media Censorship

There are a myriad of ways to circumvent the media censorship but it's becoming more difficult as countries like China and Russia are securing VPNs and other similar tools. Reporters Without Borders thinks it can solve those mounting obstacles: make the news available through a game that's not often blocked. Kd76.Com The group has collaborated with BlockWorks and MediaMonks on the Uncensored Library, a Minecraft map that features news articles from journalists and websites that are often restricted for their unflattering information. 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 technological achievement in its own right. It's like a huge neoclassical library, with huge collection of books and a specific section for each country. It isn't possible to tear the library apart but you can expand it if you have the time and the desire.

Reporters Without Borders believes that the Uncensored Library should have a high degree of resilience. Anyone can download the required map, and Minecraft's nature allows it to host another server in case an oppressive government attempts to shut one down. It's unlikely to last forever, though. Countries with draconian restrictions on censorship aren't likely think twice about bans on Minecraft in whole-heartedly -- this may be a temporary respite.

But that's not the whole purpose. This is also a commentary on censorship, and a way to engage people who normally wouldn't think much about such a difficult subject. If it encourages some Minecraft players to support press freedom or pursue investigative journalism as a profession then it has accomplished its goal.