Censorship's BIG comeback: Journalism crackdowns in Turkey, USA are causing surge of fake news and gossip

Journalists who want to make a living without going to prison, forced to publish government approved content.

It takes an extraordinary courage to be a journalist. At least 259 journalists are in jail worldwide, the number rocketing as Turkey cracks down on news and media outlets. In Turkey alone, 81 journalists are behind bars for the work they have done to bring news to the people.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -- George Orwell once wrote, "In a time of universal deceit -- telling the truth is a revolutionary act." Today, journalists are forced to make a dangerous choice. Either make their living by publishing fake news and upholding the party-approved narrative, or face danger by printing the truth.

Worldwide, at least 259 journalists were in jail as of December 1, 2016. This number contrasts with 199 exactly a year prior.

Turkey is leading the count with 81 journalists behind bars. In addition to jailing 81 people, over 100 media outlets in that country have been seized and closed. The move follows an attempted coup in Turkey that failed last July.

The journalists are accused of anti-state actions.

The imprisonment and closure of a hundred media outlets suggest the government is eliminating its opposing voice in politics.

Behind Turkey, China ranks second, then Egypt and finally Eritrea. These nations are so secretive that it's hard to count which has the most. Traditionally, China has the most journalists imprisoned.

In another surprising turn, Iran is not in the top 5, having released most of those imprisoned following a 2009 crackdown in that country.

What is most surprising about Turkey is that country is one of the most liberal and democratic states in the Middle East, supposedly with a free press. The example there shows how quickly a national crisis can result in the erosion of civil rights and basic liberties. Many journalists complain they feel as though they could be arrested at any moment.

The result of this fear is fake news, with journalists writing what will pass censorship tests.

There are two kinds of censorship, hard and soft. Hard censorship is being practiced in Turkey where those who report the truth are in danger of arrest and imprisonment. Soft censorship is more widespread. Soft censorship is where governments or private agencies discourage certain stories from being published.

Discouragement can come from harassment, both government and private, or from withholding of payment or advertising. This happens in the United States, where content on certain topics is not monetized or is not allowed to spread virally across social networks. By refusing to monetize controversial topics, these networks discourage publication. Few journalists are willing to work for free, and even then, their jobs could be jeopardized.

Therefore social networks are echo chambers, and why so much of our news is fake or is about unimportant subjects. If a journalist wants to stay employed, and out of jail, their best bet is to write content that does not attract too much attention or the wrong attention.