To watch part two click here

This is week on the Listening Post we look at the assault on Gaza and the information war being fought on the world's airwaves.

We also look at investigative journalists in Romania who refuse to be silenced by politicians.

For this week's News Divide – and the first of the New Year – we examine the biggest news story of the year so far: Gaza.

As the Israeli assault oo the territory enters its third week, we look at how the global media have been looking at this unfolding story from the outside in.

It is clear that both sides are trying to manipulate the media in order to generate international support.

However, an emerging problem in western coverage is this notion of balance, albeit a misleading one.

Given the disproportionate use of force and the heavy casualty numbers of Palestinians in Gaza, do equal airtime and column inches provide a true and accurate interpretation of events on the ground? That is the subject of our investigation in part one of the show.

In part two, The Listening Post's Meenakshi Ravi reports on the curious case of what has been dubbed the 'plum brandy and sausage scandal' in Romania.

Romania is one of the European Union's newest member states and it has gone to great pains to enter Europe.

Part of the criteria for it joining the elite club was to allow the media to report freely. But as our report shows, Romania has found it difficult to shake off its old habits of media repression and state control.

We hear from the head of news at Romania State Television, Rodica Culcer, who broke the corruption scandal on her current affairs programme and who has been subsequently been gagged by her country's authorities.

In this week's Newsbytes, we report on the release of the two European journalists from their Somali captors; China's latest attempts to curb online freedom on search engines Google and Baidu; the libel suit brought against The New York Times over its allegations that DC lobbyist Vicky Iseman had an affair with John McCain many years ago.

And also we report on the trial of two men in New York who have pleaded guilty to providing Americans with satellite links to Lebanon's Al Manar TV channel – a criminal offence under US anti-terrorism law.

Finally, for our first internet Video of the Week of 2009, we bring you a funny take on a story that was the talk of cyberspace at the end of 2008. Funnyordie.com has posted a hilarious video that examines some of the opportunities to make a quick buck created by the Iraqi journalist shoe thrower.

To watch our Video of the Week click here.

This episode of The Listening Post aired from Friday, January 9, 2009.