This front page commentary, cited in Wen Hui Bao a Hong Kong based newspaper backed by Beijing, characterized press freedom in the US as “High on Water Content” (a Chinese saying meaning having surface value but little substance). According to the article, under high pressure and an unseen hanging rope, the US media have become reluctant to either criticize the government or discuss the legitimacy of the Iraq war. The media does not have any means to force the government into releasing more information and for a long period of time it has not dared to challenge the government’s propaganda policy. The end result has been to accept and encourage the government’s news which in effect has made the US media unknowingly a propaganda tool for the US government.
Source: China News, March 19, 2008
http://www.chinanews.com/gj/xwbj/news/2008/03-19/1195717.shtml