Are we censoring ourselves?

For more:

• Politicsweb: Do South Africa's journalists still self-censor? How informed can any lawmaker in the US be when relying on reports that often appear to be little more than repeats of previous years' reports?

  Considering the fact that these reports are used by US officials to decide what countries get aid and what-have-you, Politicsweb's statement is dead right when it says that "if the quality of the report on South Africa is any guide to the others, the idea that these reports guide US lawmakers' decisions - let alone are regarded as an 'essential update' for intergovernmental organisations and journalists - is a profoundly disconcerting one."