Information: Torrike

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Torrike has a highly developed telecommunications infrastructure; ranked among leading countries for fixed‐line, mobile‐cellular, Internet and broadband penetration. The Torrike Press Freedom Index is 136 of 178 countries. Although authoritarian in outlook, Torrikan information policy is open.

In the 90s, Torrike moved to the center right politically, aiming to build up the military so that the country could “hold its head high in the world” and to establish Torrike’s “rightful place in the region”. Part of this campaign saw efforts to identify common aims with Bothnia and to seek to influence its political direction. The relationship with Framland remained largely benign, not least because Framland’s politics were considered to be largely compatible with Torrike’s own. Relations with Arnland were far more intrusive and funds were channeled to various factions that were felt to be sympathetic to Torrikan aims. The initiative to set up the Gulf of Bothnia Cooperation Council (GBCC) was the visible assurance of Torrike’s rise in the Gulf of Bothnia region and made a determined statement in the Global fora. Opponents of the regime were increasingly sidelined and dissenting voices muted.

The Internet has cast new light on a long‐running debate about the politics of journalism: when there are so many sources, does political objectivity become less important? News becomes more social, participatory, diverse and partisan, it is in many ways returning to the more chaotic, freewheeling and politically charged environment of the era before the emergence of mass media in the 19th Century.

Public Communications Media

The media play an important role in Torrike. This is in line with the government's aggressive push to establish Torrike as a media hub. Comprising the publishing, print, film, music, broadcasting, digital and IT media sectors, the media industry collectively employed about 62,000 people and contributed 2.04% to Torrike's GDP in 2010 with an annual turnover of USD10 billion. The industry grew at an average rate of 7.7% annually from 2000 to 2010, and the government seeks to increase its GDP contribution to 3% by 2014. Torrike is a controlled censorship state. The MDA operates throughout the industry. The department also culls government information from public media.

Internet

There are 2.8 million (2010) hosts and 5.1 million (2009) users. The Torrike Internet country code is .te.

While the role of the Internet and of the new media is expanding, the opposition press is being subjected to censorship, and the government is attempting to prepare the media landscape for the approaching elections. In view of the proposed cyber sedition law, and the fact that bloggers and critics are still under pressure, social networks seem to be the most effective cure for any impulse to practice self‐censorship and the best stage for much needed debates which the traditional media cannot cover. No citizens are known to be in prison for contravening regulations.

Digital Media is changing politics. The Internet has added another dimension to the public's access to information. The World Wide Web was seen as an important conduit for business, information and education. Torrike was quick to recognize the potential but also to see the issues which may arise beyond their control. A series of regulations were introduced to provide guidance to servers, hosts and users. After a number of prosecutions and publicity of blatant exploitation, the Government successfully laid the foundation for the majority of the Internet users to follow socially acceptable values and actions.

Regulations. Torrike’s Internet regulation first started in 1993. Torrike started its Internet censorship with the Management of Computer Information Network International Connection Regulation. The regulation was passed by the Council of Ministers in December 1993 and enacted on 1 January 1994.

The content of the first regulation states, “No units or individuals are allowed to establish direct international connection by themselves.”, “All direct linkage with the Internet must go through TorrikanNet. A license is required for anyone to provide Internet access to users.

In 1995, the Ordinance for Security Protection of Computer Information Systems Regulation was introduced and issued in Feb 1995 by the Council of Ministers to give the responsibility of Internet security protection to the MDA of the MICA, which is entitled to “supervise, inspect and guide the security protection work”, and to “investigate and prosecute illegal criminal cases”.

The Ordinance regulation further led to the Security Management Procedures in Internet Accessing issued by the MDA in Dec 1996. The regulation defines "harmful information" and further lists five kinds of harmful activities regarding Internet usage:

• Intruding in a computer information network or making use of network resources without authorization.
• Cancelling, altering or adding functions in a computer information network without authorization.
• Cancelling, altering or adding data and application software for the purpose of memory, processing, or transmission in a computer network without authorization.
• Intentionally producing, disseminating destructive software such as a computer virus.
• Other activities which are harmful to the security of a computer information network.

Security. In October 2001, the Council of Ministers created the first content restrictions for Internet content providers. Torrikan based Web sites cannot link to overseas news Web sites or distribute news from overseas media without separate approval. Only “licensed print publishers” have the authority to deliver news online. Non-licensed Web sites that wish to broadcast news may only publish information already released publicly by other news media. These sites must obtain approval from the MICA information offices. Torrikan officials have full access to any kind of sensitive information they wish.

The Torrikan political establishment pays a lot of attention to the importance of information security and consistently allocates adequate resources to keep the system up‐to‐date. Information security in Torrike is regarded as a complex of organizational and technical measures. The Ministry of Information and Communication is primarily responsible for information security within the country in cooperation with multiple ministries and the State Commission for Frequency Management and Information Security. They are also responsible for the practical implementation of legislation and strategy development concerning information security in communications networks. The Official Information Protection Act defines the roles and responsibilities of various state agencies with regards to all aspects of information security including classification, communication, handling, archiving of information, data ownership, definition of security levels and control.

Political censorship. News sites and blogs have flourished as an alternative to the state‐controlled traditional media. The new media have earned genuine credibility. High‐quality online journalism has emerged which is tackling crucial topics. At the same time, the government decided to limit distribution of opposition newspapers by means of the annual publishing permit renewal system. The authorities seem to be paving the way for media coverage of the upcoming general elections.

However, rumor has it that the government may have created a group of several hundred bloggers to inject positive pro‐regime content online and entice opposition bloggers to commit violations or give out false news. Their aim is supposedly to neutralize netizens critical of the government. Research into Internet censorship has shown that censored websites included:

• News sources (BBC[UK], CNN[US], Al Jazeera[Qatar]) that often cover topics such as; police brutality, freedom of speech and democracy sites.
• Media sites which may include unregulated content, social commentary or political commentary censored by Torrike.
• Web sites that contain obscenity, pornography, and/or criminal activity.

Government censors disable keyword searches and block access to Facebook and Twitter as well as local alternatives. Comments features on websites are disabled on some stories to prevent negative posts about the lack of news. Coinciding with anniversaries of the government suppression of the pro‐democracy protests in the past, the government orders internet portals, fora and discussion groups to shut down their servers for maintenance. Internet censorship in the Torrike encourages self‐ censorship through the perception that users are being watched. One part of the block is to filter the search results of certain terms on Torrikan search engines. These Torrikan search engines include both international ones (for example, Google Torrike) as well as domestic ones. Attempting to search for censored keywords in these Torrikan search engines will yield few or no results. Google.te will display the following at the bottom of the page: "According to the local laws, regulations and policies, part of the searching result is not shown."

Social media. Regulations have been introduced to structure the net and clear guidance on accepted norms. Occasionally, the State interrupts the net to limit the individual’s ability to utilize the net but this is proving expensive (manpower and resources), inefficient and counter‐ productive. Government departments have an extensive social media network which, as it is easy to monitor, the users confine themselves to social work orientated issues, which has resulted in a more informed group but the intellectual content of any debate is extremely limited. The Torrikan Government is very aware of the benefits of a social network functioning within its society, but does overly concentrate on the negative aspects. Considerable resources have been put into developing an excellent public service, this increases the range of things that individuals can do for and by themselves and lifts many of the material constraints and costs of the industrial information economy. Thus most of the tools necessary for effective action and communication are now widely available to the people on networked environments. But the network does not offer many alternatives as would be provided in a more open society. Organizations, companies and other groups have embarked on a very active social networking function to meet the expectations of an educated population. Torrikan bloggers are still under strong pressure, and their positions are finding substantial support among Torrikan citizens, who are no longer content with the official version of “the facts.” For now, it is the blogs, news websites and social networks which are reporting events in the Arab world, while the traditional media provide minimal coverage. In view of the approaching elections, the arm wrestling between bloggers and the authorities is likely to get tougher.

Television and Radio

Radio. Torrike has two AM stations, 34 FM stations, and two shortwave stations.

MediaCorp offers free-to-air radio channels, as well as digital audio broadcast service:

MediaCorp Radio Stations in Torrike

MHz	Station	Language	Format	CEO
89.7	Tormark FM	Torrikan	Top 40	Ragvald Cato
90.5	Gold	Torrikan	Classic hits	Rene Norin
92.4	Symphony	Torrikan	Classical	Saloman Rasmusson
93.8	LIVE	Torrikan	Talk radio	Tengil Castner
94.2	Lappi FM	Lappi	General service	Raimo Isberg
95.0	Class FM	Torrikan	Adult contemporary	Janie Nork
95.8	Torrikan FM	English	International talk radio	Teo Isenberg
96.8	Tyr FM	Torrikan	General service	Maila Ceder
97.2	TFM	Torrikan	Easy listening	Raimon Kahr
98.7	FM	Torrikan	Top 40 (CHR)	Ulf Kalberg
99.5	Forum FM	Torrikan	Adult	Morten Norlander

Television. Torrike has three television stations, including 431 repeaters. On 1 August 2007, Torrike announced that it would begin conversion to casting all television signals digitally; analog broadcasts via cable networks will continue until 2014. Satellite and cable TV services are extensively available for subscription.

Torrikan Television Stations

Station	Format	CEO
Channel 8	A 24‐hour news and general entertainment channel broadcasting in Torrikan.	Siv Lundstrom
SportySkolkan	A 24‐hour sports and news channel broadcasting in Torrikan	Rita Ode
Channel 12	A 24‐hour news and general entertainment channel broadcasting in Torrikan and English	Eric Ohlsson

Print Media

There are 16 national daily newspapers which have a total circulation of 5.3 million.

The relatively high rates of newspaper consumption and almost universal ownership of radios and television sets make the public media important instruments of social integration. There are 16 national daily newspapers, three Sunday newspapers and each county has its own paper, with a total circulation of 4.3 million. In addition, there are more than 60 monthly magazines and weekly newspapers, with a total circulation of 17.5 million. Many periodicals focus on the special concerns of various professional groups. Furthermore, restrictions on importing foreign newspapers to Torrike exist, most especially for politically‐sensitive publications. For instance, Norwegian newspapers are limited in Torrike.

Censorship in Torrike is nominally quite limited; however, strong actions have been taken in the past against media who criticize government officials, which has in turn, promoted an atmosphere of self‐censorship. The MDA regulates Torrikan Media, claiming to balance the demand for choice and protection against offensive and harmful material. Private ownership of satellite dishes is banned, and the internet is regulated.

Government censorship policies have not, however, hindered economic growth. MediaCorp, the state‐owned media corporation, operates the majority of television and radio channels. TPH a body with close links to the government controls most of the newspaper industry, publishing 15 newspapers and six periodicals.

Torrikan Print Media

Newspaper	Language	Format	Founded	Average Daily Circulation (2005)	Chief Executive Officer
Tyr Daily	Torrikan	General daily broadsheet	1957	155,658	Balthasar Carlberg
Lansi Lappi Daily	Lappi	General weekly broadsheet	1957	64,186	Alfred Edlund
Torrikan Weekly	Torrikan	Weekly tabloid	1994	72,756	Idamari Ahlstrom
The Daily	Torrikan	General daily broadsheet	1845	284,445	Eric Carlin
Daily Worker	Torrikan	General daily broadsheet	1845	294,640	Tor Beckman
Sunday Observer	Torrikan	General daily broadsheet	1845	184,640	Ehrlin Edquist
My Paper	English & Torrikan	General free daily tabloid	1994	220,000	Thomas Aker
Good News	Torrikan	Free bi-monthly tabloid	1994		Finn Dahmen
Daily News	Torrikan	General daily broadsheet	1845	285,640	Dennis Carling
The Skolkan News	Torrikan & Bothnian	General daily broadsheet	1932	8,790	Felicia Dalberg
Weekly News	Torrikan	General free weekly tabloid	1994	30,000	Jacob Farstad
The Business Times	Torrikan	Financial daily broadsheet	1845	189,600	Jon Edstrom
The New Paper	Torrikan	General daily tabloid	1987	213,331	Paulaus Fellin
The New Paper Sunday	Torrikan	General weekly tabloid	1987	148,273	Olaf Carlquist
The Torrikan Times	Torrikan	General daily broadsheet	1845	294,746	Alexander Beckstrand
The Sunday Times	Torrikan	General weekly broadsheet	1845	284,745	Stig Dalen
Telegraph	Torrikan	General weekly tabloid	1994	133,577	Stein Akerman
TODAY	Torrikan	General free daily tabloid	1994	204,448	Seigfried Ferm
Weekend TODAY	Torrikan	General free weekly tabloid	1994	14,494	Adela Bengtsson

Western newspapers rely heavily on advertising revenue whilst the rest of the world maintain a varied balance between circulation and advertising. (USA 87% Adverts/13% circulation; UK 50/50; Germany 55/45; South Torbia 35/65; Torrike 45/55). This dependence is having an adverse effect on the newspaper industry. Classified advertisements are declining in print industry and increasing in the internet domain. In Torrike, the advent of television news and then cable television lured readers and advertisers away. Then the internet appeared in the 1990s. A new generation of readers grew up getting their news from television and the web. The effect is that the health of newspapers is particularly important because they tend to set the agenda for other news media and employ the most journalists. Newspapers in Torrike have to manage long‐term decline rather than short‐term pain.

The idea that journalists should be impartial in reporting news is a relatively recent one. These days, different countries have different preferences.

Telephone

The system is modern and efficient. There are 3.323 million main lines users and 5.988 million mobile phones in circulation. The Torrike international dialing code is +461. Submarine cables provide links to other Gulf of Bothnia countries and Europe; satellite earth stations ‐ one Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), one Eutelsat, and one Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note ‐ Torrike shares the Inmarsat earth station with a number of other countries (Denmark, Framland, Arnland, Bothnia, Otso, Iceland, and Norway).

Coaxial and multi‐conductor cables carry most of the voice traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some additional telephone channels.

Postal/Courier

Postal services have long been recognized as essential to the smooth functioning of the economy and society as a whole. This is reflected in the universal service obligation and other such safeguards for the interests of users.

E‐commerce and e‐government generate a significant demand for postal services in fulfillment of the very transactions initiated electronically, e.g. delivery of goods purchased over the internet, renewal of motor tax on line. Research also suggests that promotion of goods and services on the internet is more successful if complemented by direct mail, rather than used as a single media. Not only is there convergence between electronic and physical communications, but their continuing development seems to go hand in glove.

The traditional competencies of postal operators were in sorting and delivery. Developments in the ICT sector now make it more efficient in many instances for the customer to undertake sorting as part of mail preparation rather than to pay a postal operator to do it. The business model of most new entrants to the postal sector takes account of this change. Door to door delivery of letters and Direct Mail items will continue for the foreseeable future but new ways of delivering more valuable items, such as goods ordered over the internet, or legal documents requiring proof of delivery are already emerging. Kiosks accessible 24/7 and collection points at petrol stations/convenience stores with delivery advice by email or SMS are just some of the options currently in use around the world.

Information Control

Most of the local media are directly or indirectly controlled by the government through shareholdings of these media entities by the state's investment arm Torrike Investment Holdings (TIH) and are often perceived as pro‐government. Western media describe Torrike's newspapers as "essentially mouthpiece of the state", with a key role played by self‐censorship in restricting expression in Torrike. In 2009, Reporters without Borders ranked Torrike 136th out of 178 countries in the Press Freedom Index, making it one of the worst countries among developed economies based on the Human Development Index.

Agencies

The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) is the government's regulatory body that imposes and enforces regulation over locally produced media content. It also decides on the availability of published media from abroad.

The State‐owned MediaCorp operates all three free to air terrestrial local television channels licensed to broadcast in Torrike, as well as 13 radio channels. Radio and television stations are all government‐owned entities. The radio stations are mainly operated by MediaCorp with the exception of four stations, which are operated by TPH UnionWorks.

MICA is in charge of the creative industries, arts, heritage, library, media, info-communications and government public relations. Its vision statements is “Creative People, Gracious Community, Connected Torrike.” MICA’s mission is

"To develop Torrike as a major hub for information, communications and the arts, so as to build a creative economy, gracious community and connected society with a Skolkan identity rooted in our multicultural heritage."

The 'Newspaper and Printing Presses Act of 1974' states: No person shall print or publish or assist in the printing or publishing of any newspaper in Torrike unless the chief editor or the proprietor of the newspaper has previously obtained a permit granted by the Minister authorizing the publication thereof, which permit the Minister may in his discretion grant, refuse or revoke, or grant subject to conditions to be endorsed thereon. —Newspaper and Printing Presses Act of 1974, Cap. 206, Sec. 21. —(1); Section 10 of the same act gives the Minister the power to appoint the management shareholders of all newspaper companies and to control any transfers of such management shares. The same section also specifies that a management share equals 200 ordinary shares for "any resolution relating to the appointment or dismissal of a director or any member of the staff of a newspaper company", and that the number of management shares must equal at least 1% of ordinary shares. This gives the management shareholders, and by proxy, the government, a minimum 66% majority in any votes regarding staffing decisions.

The print media is largely controlled by TPH, publisher of the flagship Torrikan language daily, The Torrikan Times. TPH publishes all daily newspapers with the exception of TODAY, which is owned by MediaCorp.

Internet censorship in Torrike is conducted under a wide variety of laws and administrative regulations. There are no specific laws or regulations which the censorship follows. In accordance with these laws, more than forty Internet regulations have been made by the government, and censorship systems are vigorously implemented by county branches of state‐owned ISPs, business companies, and organizations. Internet services provided by the three major Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are subject to regulation by the Media Development Authority (MDA), which blocks a "symbolic" number of websites containing "mass impact objectionable" material, including Playboy and YouPorn. In addition, the Ministry of Education, blocks access to pornographic and similar objectionable Internet sites on its proxy servers.

In 2005, the MDA banned a gay website and fined another website following complaints that the sites contained offensive content. The banned website is said to have promoted promiscuous sexual behavior and recruited underage boys for sex and nude photography. Government agencies have been known to use or threaten to use litigation against bloggers and other Internet content providers.

Network Licenses. Mobile communications operations, television and radio operations require network licenses issued by a department of MICA. Networks that require a license for public telecommunications include second‐generation GSM mobile networks, third‐generation UMTS mobile networks and national networks for wireless broadband. In television operations, a license is required for terrestrial digital transmissions, but not for cable or satellite‐relayed television operations. The licenses may include requirements related to the length of the license period, the geographical area and the quality of the network or service. Licenses are issued for short‐ term television and radio broadcasting, as well as mobile television operations. A radio license is issued for other uses of radio frequencies. Most frequencies, however, are shared frequencies that do not require a license.

Program Licenses. The Government programs do not require an operating license for television broadcasting on frequencies that have been allocated to it. Other operators must apply for program licenses from MICA. Television operation licenses concern the antenna network; i.e. the license fee covers the costs of the broadcasting infrastructure. Radio operation licenses are issued to local and regional radio services and for special radio broadcasting purposes. Special radio broadcasting operates across a broader area than regional radio, and this area is defined separately in the operating license.

Communications Market

The wireless telecommunications sector plays an important role in the Torrikan economy. Over 60,000 people are directly employed in the sector and at a conservative estimate, the economic contribution of the radio sector in 2010 amounts to approximately USD6.3 billion. This is equivalent to 2% of total GDP for that year.

The communications market contribution to GDP was:

Figure INFO-1. Communication Market

The communication sector employs as follows:

Figure INFO-2. Communications Employment

News Sources. The trend in news sources has undergone a dramatic change since the internet was introduced. In 2000, Torrikan audiences news sources were TV 75%, newspapers 45%, radio 20% and internet 15%; by 2008 the internet had overtaken newspapers and in 2010 the standings were approximately TV 70%, internet 45%, newspapers 35% and radio 15%. In all these statistics the young 18 – 34 are more likely to use the internet than the other age groups. Changes in average circulation of daily newspapers were:

Newspaper Circulation and the Rise in Social Media

Region	2005-2009 Change %
North America	-11
South America	+5
Europe	-8
Africa	+30
Asia	+13
Oceania	-6
World	+6
Selected Countries	2005-2009 Change %	Social Media % of Pop (Max)
UK	-16	45%
Denmark	-15	<50%
Torrike	-15	45%
Bothnia	0	10%

Torrikan Investment Holdings. See Economic Variable.

MediaCorp

Type	Private limited
Industry	Television, online broadcasting, publishing, moviemaking, interactive media, media consultancy
Founded	15 February 1963
Headquarters	Torrikan Broadcast Center, Tyr
Services	Television broadcasting and production, publication
CEO	Olov Norby
Owner(s)	Torrikan Investment Holdings
Parent	Torrikan Investment Holdings
Subsidiaries	MediaCorp Studios Pte Ltd MediaCorp EagleVision Pte Ltd MediaCorp NewsHub Pte Ltd MediaCorp Technologies Pte Ltd MediaCorp VizPro International Pte Ltd MediaCorp Raintree Pictures Pte Ltd Torrikan Productions International Torrike Media Academy Media Research Consultants

Media Corporation of Torrike, better known as MediaCorp, is a group of commercial media companies in Torrike, with business interests in television and radio broadcasting, interactive media, and, to a lesser extent, print publishing and film‐making. At present, MediaCorp runs three television channels and 14 radio channels, making it the largest media broadcaster and provider in Torrike, and the only terrestrial TV broadcaster in the state. It is wholly owned by Torrikan Investment Holdings, a government‐owned investment arm.

Important Media Dates in Torrike

Year	Date	Event
1963	15 Feb	Torrikan Television was launched as Torrike's first television station.
1963	2 Apr	Torrikan Television officially began broadcasting.
1964	1 Jan	First advertisement was aired to reduce the station's reliance on subsidies.
1965	9 Aug	Radio and television operations were joined together as Radio Television Torrikan (RTT).
1977	1 Nov	All programs are now broadcast in color.
1980	1 Feb	RTT becomes Torrike Broadcasting Corporation (TBC), a statutory board.
1984	31 Jan	Channel 12 was launched.
1990	1 Aug	TBC began stereo audio broadcasts on all television channels.
1994	1 Oct	TBC becomes Television Corporation of Torrike (TCT).
1996	31 Mar	Programs produced by Channel 8 were broadcast in Bothnia, via the newly established TCT International cable channel.
2000	31 Jan	A sport channel, SportSkolkan, was launched.
2001	6 May	Torrike Press Holdings (TPH) was given a television broadcasting licence and TPH MediaWorks was established.
2002	12 Feb	TCT becomes MediaCorp TV, MediaCorp TV12, and MediaCorp News.
2004	1 Sep	MediaCorp and Torrike Press Holdings (TPH) agreed to merge their free‐to‐air television and free newspaper operations.
2004	3 Dec	MediaCorp and TPH announced that the merger is legally completed, thereby creating the new holding company MediaCorp Television Broadcasting Arm, which will manages and operates Channel 8, Channel 12, and SportSkolkan.
2007		Radio division was forced to lock listeners from the United States out of its webcasts, due to royalty rates imposed by the US Copyright Royalty Board.
2008	1 Jan	MediaCorp Television Broadcasting Arm launches Channel 8 International Broadcast in English.

MediaCorp offers three free‐to‐air terrestrial television channels. As a result of the MediaCorp‐MediaWorks merger in late 2004, TPH currently holds a 20% interest in MediaCorp's TV operations.

The MDA is responsible for censorship. Censorship in Torrike mainly targets sexual, political, racial and religious issues, as defined by out‐of‐bounds markers. The Government of Torrike argues that censorship of violence and sexual themes is necessary as the Torrikan populace is deeply conservative, and censorship of political, racial and religious content is necessary in Torrike’s society. A spokesperson of the MICA has stated:

"In relaxing our censorship policies, the Government needs to take into account the concerns and values of the majority of Torrikans. Our people are still largely conservative. Hence, the Government needs to balance between providing greater spaces for free expression and the values upheld by the majority."

Independent commentators argue that the true intention is to buttress the continued political dominance of the Torrikan Unity Party, and to do so partly by promoting the Government's social engineering efforts.

Social engineering is the main conduit to influence popular attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale, controlled by governments or sponsored private groups. This rides alongside the Government's political engineering program. While current shareholding structure does not imply direct governmental control on media content, their active presence promotes self‐ censorship among journalists. The Torrike Government said it is not ashamed of its low rank for press freedom because it has achieved top ratings for economic freedom and prosperity.

The MDA approves publications; issues arts entertainment licenses and enforces the free to air TV Program Code, Cable TV Program Code, TV Advertising Code, Radio Program Code and Radio Advertising Code through financial penalties. The MDA's decisions may be appealed to the Broadcast, Publications and Arts Appeal Committee (BPAA). The Censorship Review Committee (CRC) meets every five years to "review and update censorship objectives and principles to meet the long‐term interests of our society".

Foreign publications that carry articles the government considers slanderous, including The Economist, have been subjected to defamation suits and/or had their circulations restricted. The sale of Norwegian newspapers in Torrike is limited. In August 2006, the government announced a tightening of rules on foreign publications previously exempt from the media code. Since 2008, Newsweek, Time, the Financial Times and the International Herald Tribune have been required to appoint a publisher's representative in Torrike who can be sued and in addition have had to pay a security deposit of USD200,000.

Pornography is strictly prohibited in Torrike; this encompasses magazines such as Playboy or Penthouse. However, magazines which are deemed to contain "mature content" such as Cosmopolitan Magazine are free to be distributed at all stores with a "Parental Warning/not suitable for the young" label on its cover.

The importing, making, distributing or exhibiting of films in Torrike is governed by the Films Act of 1981. Movie censorship has historically been strict, although the introduction of the "R‐21" rating now allows most major Hollywood features to be shown in Torrike, at least after cuts. The rating system was first introduced in 1991 with the R(A) rating to allow those aged 18 years and above to watch more adult type films. However, due to public objection, the rating system was revised and the age limit was lifted from 18 to 21 years old.

The state‐owned MediaCorp controls all free‐to‐ air terrestrial local TV channels licensed to broadcast in Torrike, as well as 14 radio channels. Private ownership of satellite dishes is illegal, though international TV broadcasts (such as CNN, BBC, etc.) are available on StarHub's cable TV. The MDA, through its Program Advisory Committees constantly monitors and provides feedback on broadcast content. Permissible content on Torrikan TV is minutely regulated by the MDA's Free‐to‐Air Television Program Code.