Truth is in danger as new techniques used to stop journalists covering the news

In the U.S. the press is affected by owners and advertisers.

I don't have TV service so I can't speak to that, but on-line mainstream "news" sites almost always ignore anything to do with climate disruption. Eg., I could find no mainstream news sites that mentioned that July 2016 was not only the hottest July since records began being kept in 1880, but the hottest month period. A few had articles about it, but no mention on their home page, so you only saw the articles if you already knew about it and did a search. This is habitual behaviour for information about global warming and some other information, eg. in politics.

And there is the recent case of a Georgia judge who had a reporter arrested because she didn't like his freedom of information request.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-07/s-tii070716.php

Public Release: 10-Jul-2016
Truth is in danger as new techniques used to stop journalists covering the news
SAGE

The truth is being suppressed across the world using a variety of methods, according to a special report in the 250th issue of Index on Censorship magazine.

Physical violence is not the only method being used to stop news being published, says editor Rachael Jolley in the Danger in Truth: Truth in Danger report. As well as kidnapping and murders, financial pressure and defamation legislation is being used, the report reveals.

"In many countries around the world, journalists have lost their status as observers and now come under direct attack."

There's an increasing trend to label journalists as "extremists" or "terrorists" so governments can crackdown on reporting they don't like. According to Index's Mapping Media Freedom project, which tracks attacks on journalists in more than 40 countries, 35 incidents were reported where journalists were being linked to "extremism" to restrict reporting, 11 in Russia and others in Belgium, Hungary, France and Spain.

Veteran journalists say certain countries including Syria are becoming almost impossible to cover. And citizen journalists in Syria say they are under enormous pressure to stop reporting but feel a responsibility to carry on despite the risks, particularly since so few international journalists are left in Syria. "All we can do is persevere, coping with the fear and the risks," one told Index.

Laura Silvia Battaglia, who trains journalists in Iraq says:

"In Iraq providing safety training is not only necessary, it's a duty for international originations who care about journalists and activists in dangerous zones. [...] Local journalism is vital if the Iraqi people are to know what is happening in their country, and to do that journalists need to continue to protect themselves."

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