In many countries across Asia, governments are growing less tolerant of critical reporting, even arresting journalists and closing media outlets in some cases. A look at how and where journalists are coming under renewed pressure:
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CHINA: SETTING THE TONE
The ruling Communist Party has long exercised heavy-handed direction over news media, but recent events speak to a further tightening of ideological controls.
President and party leader Xi Jinping set the tone with visits in February to the official Xinhua News Agency, the party-controlled People’s Daily newspaper and state broadcaster CCTV. At each place, he stated that absolute loyalty to the party was the media’s highest priority.