The Philippines is a tough place to be if you work in Radio. If you’re not being shot for your own political views – 68 journalists have been murdered in that country since 1992 – you’re being fired for refusing to express those of your employer. After successfully managing RayMN’s dxDC at Davao for 12 years, Maximo Solis is suing his former bosses, alleging that he was removed after defying an order from a network official to regularly criticise then presidential candidate Benigno Aquino III in favor of rival Manny Villar. Happily in Australia, the odd death threat from an overly partisan listener has rarely turned to violence, and no-one has yet has mounted an unfair dismissal case along similar lines to the Solis case.

Yet given the bias of some media outlets, perceived or otherwise, consumers may be forgiven for believing that some influence is being exerted on journalists and presenters to lean in a certain direction.

In your opinion, do proprietors exert any influence over the views of their journalists and presenters? If so, is it about ideology or simply about snaring an audience?

Have you ever been intimidated into toeing a particular lin? If so, was it subtle or delivered in the form of an ultimatum?