A free press is the mainstay of a free society, and was wisely included in the Bill of Rights of the US Constitution by the framers. Government shut down of a news outlet by a despot like Chavez is an obvious violation of this principle and is unlikely to be tolerated by people in a free society. What those of us living in a democracy with a tradition of free press need to be mindful of is the potential of gradual corporate takeover of news outlets through acquisition (Rupert Murdoch, anyone?)by individuals with a political agenda.