We normally think of censorship as something that happens in a Communist country. The government owns the media or shuts down anyone who disagrees. It doesn't happen like that in America.

In America, everyone has a voice. But only a few own the microphones. They decide who gets one. They control when the microphone gets turned on and even more important -- when it gets turned off.

In America, the truth usually gets out eventually. It just doesn’t get out at crunch time. After an election is decided or a bill passes Congress or we've gone to war, it’s easier to get the information you need to make an intelligent decision. But by then it’s too late. Watch what happens right after the decision has been made. There’s often a backlog of stories editors decided were too controversial. They knew they’d get an irate call from the owner or large advertisers. However, with space to fill and not wanting to waste the time and money reporters invested, most of these stories do gradually get run. You may think, if people had only known this before the election they would have voted differently. That's precisely the point. Someone decided to hold those stories.

In America, you can usually find out what's going on -- if you search long enough and hard enough and know where to look. The internet and the foreign press is one place to go. Or comb through the small items in your regular newspaper. Pay particular attention to information buried deep in the story. Listen carefully between the cracks and the crevices of television. The stuff that airs at 3 am in the morning may have more information. You can learn to sort thorough the statistics and learn to separate fact from fiction. But it’s almost a full time job. And most people don't have that kind of time.

We rely on the news media to sort information for us, to highlight what’s important. We count on that. But behind the scenes, public relations firms have become quite skilled at manipulating reporters and editors. Most journalists buy into an outmoded version of the news that makes them ripe for manipulation. They are like putty in the hands of clever public relations firms. Balanced coveage doesn't work when some will say anything to get their way while others are trying to tell the truth as they know it. Like haggling over the price of a used car with a crooked salesperson, splitting it down the middle doesn't give an accurate picture.

Censorship American Style happens right before your eyes. The next time there's a major news event, watch closely. The truth sometimes gets out before the media manages to get it sorted (and stuffed / shoved) into their prearranged containers. Aside from the banter and the familiar stories the (news hosts) insist on telling, there really is a world out there. And if you watch closely, you can catch a glimpse. But if do watch closely, you’ll notice that stories that don’t fit the preordinated story line drop from view. And those that suit the story they are spinning about what the world is like get repeated ad nauseum.

Some think it’s some secret conspiracy. No. It’s right on the surface. All you have to do is look. Someone just needs to point it out.

If we are going to keep democracy alive, we are going to have to get streetwise. And reporters are going to have to get more mature than the public relations firms and think tanks that manipulate them.