Less free press?

Officialdom seems to have developed cold feet opening up to media28 July, 2008 - Officials have constructed barricades to make things difficult for reporters these days. One of them has been the appointment of ministry policy and planning division (PPD) heads as press spokespersons with the sinister-sounding task of “helping reporters report correctly”.
Reporters are disallowed from contacting officials directly. They are made to submit their questions, through fax and email, to the PPD heads, who consult their bosses before getting back to the reporters. Their promptness, they say, depends on the “gravity” of the reporter’s questions.
The more sensitive the question, the more time taken for a reply. Answers come in writing too, via fax or email. Questions deemed offensive are ignored and reporters berated for overstepping the mark.
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