You hear a lot of talk about "self-censorship", but when you talk to the journalists involved, you realise that they are as clueless as the rest of us about what is acceptable, and what is not. They talk about a few "red lines" - topics that through past experience they know cannot be mentioned in print.
Apart from these red lines, almost all international news is safe, and any local news that arrives in the form of a press release will be fine. Outside these safe areas, journalists have little idea which stories will land them in the lurch.
What's even more confusing is that it might not be the story that is unacceptable, but the public reaction to the story. I heard from one friend about a crime story that got him into trouble; the article was reprinted on a discussion board and it produced a dozen comments suggesting that the detained man might receive a lenient sentence because of his nationality.
It's impossible for journalists to predict the reaction to any given story, and so naturally most will err on the side of caution and remove any details from local stories that could lead to embarrassment for individuals or companies.
You hear a lot of talk about "self-censorship", but when you talk to the journalists involved, you realise that they are as clueless as the rest of us about what is acceptable, and what is not. They talk about a few "red lines" - topics that through past experience they know cannot be mentioned in print.
Apart from these red lines, almost all international news is safe, and any local news that arrives in the form of a press release will be fine. Outside these safe areas, journalists have little idea which stories will land them in the lurch.
What's even more confusing is that it might not be the story that is unacceptable, but the public reaction to the story. I heard from one friend about a crime story that got him into trouble; the article was reprinted on a discussion board and it produced a dozen comments suggesting that the detained man might receive a lenient sentence because of his nationality.
It's impossible for journalists to predict the reaction to any given story, and so naturally most will err on the side of caution and remove any details from local stories that could lead to embarrassment for individuals or companies.
--nigel