play Live Sign upShow navigation menuplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upplay videoplay videoVideo Duration 25 minutes 00 seconds play-arrow25:00WitnessThe Ban: A censorship loophole during the conflict in Northern IrelandA censorship saga about how the voices of republican leaders in Northern Ireland were banned by the British government.
After a year of deadly Irish Republican Army (IRA) attacks in Northern Ireland, Margaret Thatcher’s government introduced a broadcasting ban in 1988. The ban forbade UK radio and TV from airing the voices of IRA members and Sinn Fein leaders.
Media outlets circumvented the law by having actors dub the speeches, with Gerry Adams famously voiced by Stephen Rea. Revisit this surreal period through interviews with Adams, Rea, and Sinn Fein press officer Danny Morrison, who calls the censorship a farce. This film reflects on the power of voice and how governments continue to use security threats to restrict free speech and protest.
