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BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Since Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra took office five years ago, dozens of journalists who criticized the government have been fired or sued for libel, television talk shows have been canceled and radio stations yanked off the air.
Thaksin, a telecom tycoon-turned-politician, has repeatedly blasted reporters who question his policies as ignorant and unpatriotic. He and his close associates have taken over media companies and pressured journalists into subservience, taming what was once hailed as one of Asia's freest presses.
But as an anti-Thaksin movement has gained momentum with almost daily street protests, journalists have begun to report the news as they see it — not as the premier wants it seen. And even state-owned outlets are offering more coverage of government opponents.
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