Whatever the local media may be like, it isn't just about the local media. Indeed, I am loath to make derogatory remarks about the local media. But this is not the only place in the world where the media has to observe certain constraints - that doesn't stop there being active public relations. The world is getting smaller, and global standards will prevail. Market forces will mean better media.
Television is already international, and so is, more than anything else, the Internet.
This is only my second visit, but I hear things are changing. There really is no hiding place any more. There is no editorial control. If you publish something in a magazine you have to abide by certain laws, and you can be traced. On the net there is nothing.