N°04 Responsible Speech Act

[Malic]

Nº 04

Responsible Speech Act

June 22, 2021

PROPOSED BY: Murphy Frost
SPONSORED BY: High Councillor Troy Henry Hardwick
CITY 24
SECURITY COUNCIL


Preamble

To better secure and moderate the flow of unfettered information within the boundaries of City Twenty-Four and its outlying holdings, the Ministry of Enlightenment shall be restructured into a multifaceted and adaptable institution with enhanced regulatory and enforcement mechanisms.

Provisions

I.

The Ministry of Enlightenment shall be reconfigured into the Information Sanitation Department, whose acronym shall hereby be designated as ISD.

II.

The ISD shall be granted jurisdiction over all public forms of expression, speech, and media-related outlets, in that all public forms of expression must be submitted to a relevant official within ISD for pre-approval before public dissemination.

Public forms of expression approved by the Ministry of Civil Protection, the Administration, and Overwatch forces are exempted from the pre-approval process.

Public forms of expression are designated as follows:
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• Any form of public speaking, e.g., speeches, broadcasts, lectures, public service announcements.
• Routine announcements by Combine institutions, such as work cycles or ration announcements, remain pre-approved provided they do not deviate from established norms.
• Any literary works intended for public access, e.g., books, newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, notices.
  • Such graphical elements shall be catalogued in an internal database. Only graphical elements approved and included in this database shall be permitted in the public view.
• Any publicly available digital media, e.g., advertisements, announcements.
• Any public event or gathering accessible to the general citizenry, e.g., rallies, festivals, celebrations, and ceremonies.

III.

The department shall be restructured to include the following personnel:


Chief Censor
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• The central authority within the ISD. Able to provide pre-approval for all forms of expression. Possesses administrative authority over the ISD.​

Censor Generals​

• Heads of the internal Bureaus of the ISD. Able to provide pre-approval for relevant forms of expression. Possesses administrative authority over their respective Bureau.​

Information Surveyors​

• The general staff of Internal Bureaus of the ISD. Able to provide pre-approval to forms of expression related to their Bureaus. Reports directly to their Censor Generals. Able to contract Interns to perform designated tasks, the reward of which is a credit coupon.​

Interns​

• Citizens contracted by ISD to perform miscellaneous functions on an ad hoc basis, such as newspaper writing, speeches, event management, photography, etc. No authority to provide pre-approval.​

IV.

Any individuals found to be in violation of the pre-approval process shall be issued a reprimand by a Surveyor or above. Such reprimands carry the full force and effect of Combine ordinance. Punishments may include a verbal warning, a fine, or a civil charge to be issued at the discretion of a Civil Protection officer.

Civil charges relevant to the enforcement of ISD decrees vary according to the severity of the infraction and include but are not limited to:
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• 14; VERBAL INDISCRETION
  
  • Minor unauthorized public verbal communication
  • Distribution of minor, unauthorized literary or graphical elements

V.

All forms of expression currently available to the public and displayed before the passage of this act shall default to approved status, but are subject to future decrees by ISD officials regarding legality.

VI.

From here on, members of the ISD are granted the legal ability to enter and inspect stores, any commercial units and Ministry or Union-affiliated buildings to ensure there is a sufficient amount of conformity in the praising of Our Benefactors and the Administration. Additionally, the ISD has the authority to request any literature from each building, ensuring that each document meets the necessary standards and aligns with the correct narrative of the Administration.

VII.

Within this law, the authority is given to the ISD to recruit local citizens for movie productions. Refusal or failure to meet this expectation from citizens will result in punishment in line with the established civic code.

THIS ACT SHALL IMMEDIATELY TAKE EFFECT UPON PASSAGE.

HIGH COUNCILLOR

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