A Media Relations consultant was hired by the Coffee Association of Canada to help increase positive exposure of coffee in the media. The consultant conducted a media audit to see what press releases about coffee publishers, editors and reporters would be interested in seeing. The following is an actual off-the-record transcript of an interview between the consultant and one editor.

Consultant: Would you cover coffee again or do you have any plans to? Editor: You'd really need to talk with the marketing department, the media planner. If coffee got on their radar then yes. You have to understand how it works. Tea companies do a lot of advertising with our publication so they influence the marketing which determines the media planner, and then the editorial calendar. We have tea advertisers so it wouldn't work to suddenly start covering coffee. We don't have the freedom.

This quote suggests conflicting interpretations of "freedom." Do you think the situation the editor describes is acceptable? Why or why not? Whatever you believe, make sure to represent both sides of the debate, discussing the historical role of journalism in society and the modern reality: the ethics, ideals and practicalities.