Clapper was founded in 2020 with two main purposes: to help creators connect with each other, and to give them a safe place to share what and how they feel. We value different opinions and want our creators to have respectful conversations about the topics that matter. Whether that’s politics, a personal interest, or a difficult topic to discuss, we don’t punish our creators for sharing how they’re feeling.

Our latest stride is the Clapper Newsroom, a brand new initiative to help our creators start and engage in difficult conversations. In this article, we’ll introduce you to @ClapperNewsroom and how it will help our creators. But first, let’s talk about why we started it.

What is Censorship? ⛔

As defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica, censorship is defined as: the changing or the suppression or prohibition of speech or writing that is deemed subversive of the common good. Censorship can happen to any format of information, including videos, articles, and literal speeches. Information can be censored because it’s harmful, sensitive, objectionable, or generally disagrees with some established norm. Any kind of governing body (governments, platforms, private institutions, etc.) can censor people and their view points.

We can’t go any further without saying that there are some things that should be censored. Hate speech, bullying or harassment, or physically harmful content should not be permitted and are not allowed on Clapper.

Social Media Censorship 📱🚨

In the last seven or eight years, creators have reported a rise in censorship and shadowbanning. While social media censorship may have had well-intended beginnings, it’s steadily growing worse and worse. Many creators say their content is suppressed or their videos are taken down just for sharing their opinions. Even bipartisan videos about election season have been effected.

And beyond the damage that censorship can do to creators and their platform, it ultimately hurts the rest of the app’s community. The most obvious damage is the lack of information. Social media has made it easier than ever to keep up with the news and current events in other parts of the world. By banning content purely for being political, news related, or harder to discuss, these platforms are keeping their users in the dark about what’s happening elsewhere. And when so many news channels or sources are bias, sometimes the only reliable reporting comes from social media itself.

Suppressing this content can also prevent creators from having meaningful, respectful conversations about differing viewpoints. It keeps users from understanding how others feel – or from even hearing how others feel. It can create an echo chamber and keeps creators from growing or evolving.

Finally, it literally stops creators from finding an online community. Many queer and LGBTQ+ people can only find a supportive or welcoming community on social media. Censorship or shadowbanning makes it much harder to find that refuge, as it literally keeps their content from more people’s FYP. Political creators, or creators who focus on current events struggle for the same reason. Censorship can take away the social part of social media, which is the whole point.

Clapper and Censorship ⚠️🎬

Since 2020, Clapper has been against censorship and shadowbanning. While we may have rules in place to protect our community members (no hate speech, no bullying or harassment, no physically harmful content, etc) we want Clapper to be a space for everyone to share their opinions without judgement. And that includes more difficult topics, like news and current events.

The Clapper Newsroom 🎥

The Newsroom has a multi-pronged approach. Whether you want to start a conversation, hear some discourse, or just stay up to date, @ClapperNewsroom will be your hub for all things news.

Explore Trending Topics 📈

Clapper will find trending topics and share them as hashtags within the app. We’ll summarize the issue and both sides’ opinion to give creators a full scope – and plenty of talking points! You can post a video sharing your side of the argument, or scroll through the hashtags to see what other creators are saying.

Livestream Debates 🤜🎙️🤛

We have so many incredible creators who already go Live to share their opinions and respectfully discuss current events with each other. One of our big goals with the Newsroom is to help these creators connect and share their viewpoints! We’ll host Livestreams to discuss a trending topic and ask two creators with opposing viewpoints to debate and share their side. There will be a moderator to ensure the discussion is respectful,

Sharing Your News 📰

We want to hear from you, our creators! Tell us what’s happening in your neck of the woods or share your opinion on current issues. Post your videos with the hashtag #ClapperNewsroom for the chance to see it featured on the official Newsroom account.

How Will This Help Creators?🧡

Our ultimate goal with the Newsroom is to continue fostering Clapper’s community. We want this profile to…

• Be a place for our creators to connect with new people.
• Promote free speech and respectful discussions of hard topics.
• Help our creators understand and stay knowledgeable with current events.

Follow @ClapperNewsroom to stay up to date with our newest profile and get the first look at our #TrendingTopics.