As a reporter once targeted for firing, I appreciate this commentary

As a journalist who once was nearly the victim of a politician demanding that I be fired, I can genuinely appreciate the commentary by Tamar Charney on today's Michigan Radio website.
While certainly not making direct comparisons, Charney points out that, while the Wednesday terrorist attack on a French newspaper was horrific, the public fails to realize that news reporters  across the board, including in Michigan, face intimidation from the politicians and their PR minions on a regular basis.
In the rough-and-tumble world of Macomb County politics, it's nearly standard procedure among many officials to bully a reporter who writes a hard-hitting piece, a piece that hits a little too close to home.

Here's a portion of Charney's column:       
"In today’s newsrooms, there are frequent threats and attempts to get reporters fired and some reporters have lost their jobs because they didn't toe the line and were unlucky enough to work at a media outlet that wasn't committed to journalism. Fighting back against the pressures of spin doctors isn't for the faint of heart.
"While no one has been hurt, it's no picnic to have a member of the Granholm administration try to get political analyst Jack Lessenberry fired over something he wrote. Sports commentator John U. Bacon was shut out by former University of Michigan Athletic Director David Brandon for not being a booster. And more than a few spokespeople for state officials have tried to bully our news director and reporters. Despite these efforts, it is our practice to resist attempts to influence our coverage.
"Unfortunately, many journalists and news organizations capitulate and play the game."