That is why the press as a whole, and journalists in particular, are so frequently targeted by the authorities. When media outlets aren’t owned – and tamed – by the authorities or people close to them, they still face censorship, intimidation, tax audits, and occasionally assassination of their journalists and editors.
绝大多数人认为舆论自由是跟踪政府所为的有效方式，事实也的确如此。这也说明为什么整体舆论，特别是记者，会如此频繁地成为政府的目标。如果媒体渠道不为政府或民众所有或所用，媒体的记者编辑们就难以逃脱审查、恫吓、税务监察，有时甚至是暗杀的厄运。