Free speech is a liberty enjoyed by the media in Western countries. Yet it seems journalists are still producing cookie-cutter stories, when they could be exploring new ideas or investigating leads. Rick Salutin, author and columnist for the Globe and Mail, says especially since the end of the Cold War, the media has been more free and less scrutinized because the dominant Western political structures have felt a greater sense of security. However, he argues that the media haven’t embraced this freedom and seldom produce genuinely alternative points of view.