Catty, the arrests in the last link were made because the protesters violated their permit and trespassed, not because they were protesting.

In the link from George Mason Uni., the last paragraph :


And this time? Excepting news gathered by reporters in areas controlled by the Northern Alliance, the only news the American people are receiving about the war's progress is coming from the Pentagon.
is true for the initial invasion of Afghanistan, but is patently false for subsequent operations. After the initial invasion of Afghanistan, the Pentagon started the embedded reporter program. The initial invasion was not covered by the media as it was a surprise takedown, and the media are notorious for blowing operational security. (As evidenced by the reporters waiting on the beach for the US Marines in Somalia)