Meanwhile, in other parts of the world

[Yonoz]

http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2006/09/digging_deeperjournalist_paint.html"

The government shuts down independent newspapers. It jams radio signals from outside the country. Internet access is sporadic. Inflation is out of control. A bill is in Parliament that would allow the government to censor private email communications.

Welcome to Zimbabwe, the south African country born out of the former Rhodesia in 1980 and led by strongman President Robert Mugabe every day since its independence from British colonialism.

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=18768"

Five people are currently imprisoned in Vietnam for having expressed democratic views on the Internet. Contrary to the claims of the Vietnamese authorities, none of them is a terrorist, criminal or spy. These men have been punished for using the Internet to publicly express their disagreement with the political line of the sole party. They are non-violent democrats.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/26/AR2006082600297.html"

Salopek, who took a leave of absence from the Tribune to freelance for National Geographic, has won two Pulitzer Prizes while working as a reporter for the Tribune, Lipinski said.

During the early part of Darfur's 3-1/2-year-old conflict, Sudanese authorities denied foreign journalists permission to travel to the region and heavily censored the national press.

Many reporters then crossed illegally through Chad to cover the fighting, which created what U.N. officials called the world's worst humanitarian crisis with 2.5 million having fled their homes to miserable camps.

I contend that [EDIT]for international affairs[/EDIT], there is an undeniable direct proportion between the amount of potent visual material for a given news item and its prominence in news reportings and thereby also its prominence in public opinions. One must wonder why such blatant disregard for freedom of press does not draw more fire fire from news agencies and human rights groups.

 

[Anttech]

I contend that there is an undeniable direct proportion between the amount of potent visual material for a given news item and its prominence in news reporting and thereby also its prominence in public opinions.

Are you including all types of News? From Internal country politics to sport? If you are your hypothesis can be rebuked easily: Yes *some* news agencies/broadcasters are paid indirectly via ratings, and commercial newspapers income is generated obviously by the amount for units sold.

However:

Right now in Europe, there are a lot of stories regarding Tony Blairs future, its actually front page news. The 'visuals' are at a minimal, bar some of him standing out side Number 10.

 

[Yonoz]

Are you including all types of News? From Internal country politics to sport? If you are your hypothesis can be rebuked easily: Yes *some* news agencies/broadcasters are paid indirectly via ratings, and commercial newspapers income is generated obviously by the amount for units sold.

However:

Right now in Europe, there are a lot of stories regarding Tony Blairs future, its actually front page news. The 'visuals' are at a minimal, bar some of him standing out side Number 10.

You are correct. I should revise the scope of that hypothesis to international affairs.