It is the non-metropolitan areas of Asia that present the most interesting developments in press freedom. Being far from the centres of government control, they frequently get away with things that city newsrooms can't. Starting a newspaper costs little, and small circulations are acceptable. Journalists gets paid a pittance and usually are not trained, but it does work in favour of a certain freedom. It's not all sweetness and light however.
Journalists working in rural Asia have a problem with respect.
Respect for age, respect for authority, respect for local culture and mores makes it hard for reporters to get stories and makes investigate a dirty word when used with journalism. In some places a journalist is so lowly he can't even talk to the chief, much less ask a question. This same respect for authority is a problem in the Pacific as well. To criticise or even question someone staging a coup in your country can be not only rude, but can endanger your family. Everyone knows everyone else on the islands and the heavies always know where you live.