Ayala Panievsky

The New Censorship

Genre

Non-fiction

World English Language

Footnote Press

Hebrew

Radical

Film & TV

Available

Blurb

As we find ourselves in a time of democratic decay all over the world, with relentless attempts to undermine truth and facts and unprecedented technological tools to spread disinformation and incite violence, brave journalism is needed more than ever.

In The New Censorship esteemed journalist and activist Ayala Panievsky focuses on the unfortunate and unexpected mechanisms through which today’s media has inadvertently amplified the anti-democratic movement that looms over our societies. From the birth of ‘the strategic bias’ to weaponising liberal norms against liberal democracy, the populist right has found a way to exercise a more effective and socially acceptable type of silencing and manipulation. Instead of banning stories, they spread flows of disinformation, which take hours and days to debunk. Instead of silencing, they shout louder. Instead of blue-pencilling, they employ fake users, bots, and outrageous smear campaigns to dominate the conversation. Heavy-handed censorship is unnecessary when one can manipulate people to censor themselves, or simply stop listening.

Based on cutting-edge empirical research, personal experience in newsrooms and parliament corridors and a decade of living under populism in power in Israel, Panievsky will not only explain how we got here but also lay out what we all could (and should) do to restart the conversation and protect our right to know.

The New Censorship won the 2026 International Journal of Press/Politics Hazel Gaudet-Erskine Best Book Award.

Press and Reviews

“The committee selected THE NEW CENSORSHIP for its thoughtful, engaging, and timely contribution to our understanding of one of the defining challenges confronting journalism and their…”

– 2026 International Journal of Press/Politics Hazel Gaudet-Erskine Best Book Award

“An essential wake up call for anyone who cares about healthy democracies - and the media’s role in creating and sustaining them.”

– Alan Rusbridger, British journalist, ex editor-in-chief of The Guardian and Prospect Magazine

“A necessary and unflinching exposé of how authoritarians are stealing our right to know and a guide on how to take it back. Panievsky blends personal…”

– Luke Kemp, author of Goliaths’s Curse

“This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the biggest threats to journalism today – the rise of media censorship, authoritarianism and the…”

– Jane Martison, media columnist for the Guardian

“In an increasingly divided world, responsible and robust journalism is needed now more than ever – especially when disinformation is so rife. In The New Censorship,…”

– Stylist Magazine

“Ayala Panievsky's new book is exceptional. It's almost the only text that delves into the question of what journalists can actually do to better deal with…”

– Michael Hauser-Tov, Haaretz

“Don’t miss this fascinating, rivetingly-written book.”

– Arash Azizi, The Atlantic

“The New Censorship is a thoughtful, well-researched and compellingly personal analysis of the playbook for tyranny. As Ayala Panievsky makes clear, the media is far too…”

– James LaRue, author of On Censorship