My answer: Things affecting commercial activity, passenger travel, Imperial military or diplomatic activity, situations between polities within and near to the Imperium, perhaps major disasters, plagues, conflicts, etc, traffic information that is relevant to interstellar travel, and changes to travel zones or other sorts of restrictions that would apply to travellers or commercial entities doing business between star systems. 

b) Does the TNS have scope on their reports? We know travel distance and time will be a challenge - do I really expect every TNS posting from the far edges of the Imperium to make it to Capital or the other far side of the Imperium? Or would each post be given some sort of scope or radius? What would then be given shorter scope versus further?

My answer: Since the focus is on commercial travel between stars and things that would be of relevance there, many TNS postings would have a scope. If one system is having an outbreak, maybe everywhere within a J-6 distance (or 3 jumps as another way to look at it) would get the bulletin, but people further away might reasonably not need or want it.  For something like a Zhodani action that has put the Imperium into a potential war posture could be expected to have Sector or Domain scope and eventually (if things went bang), one would expect even Core would find out. 

c) Do the TNS get all their stories from direct employee journalists? Or some from them and some from freelancers? Or all from freelancers (or at least most)? What's the split?

My answer: I think there are some TNS journalists out poking around, but much data could come their way from freelancers so I think they must use them. The editors would then decide how to summarize reliable information and what scope it should have before putting it into the network. I'm assuming a high % of articles prepared by TNS journalists would be printed and a lower % of freelancer stuff would be (because of difficulty verifying or poor writing/dubious sources) but that could still mean more freelancers got published due to the vast amount of potentially interesting any decently populated system could have to write about and try to sell to TNS. 

d) Does the Imperium at any time have authority (or be able to claim it) to stop or delay articles being published into the network? Does any such authority have limits or must cause be shown to those who are being required not to produce an article or to delay it?

My answer: Yes. There may be times, to save life or limb or in some manner related to active military actions, where a story should be delayed. Total cancellation could only happen in the rarest of situations and where a clear public danger would exist. 

e) Are there other local system, subsector, sector, domain, etc. level news publishers? 

My answer: Of course! Lots of them. Some good, some bad, some slanted (TNS has a slant....). 

f) Are there any common standards for journalism in the Imperium?

My answer: IMTU, yes. Reputable news agencies will adhere to them. Others will claim to but shade the boundaries. Others yet are simply opinion or ideology more than news. 

g) When Captain Bob shows up at the starport, what news will he get? And how will he pay for it, if at all?

Does he get all current TNS stuff? Does he have to pay for that? If so, how much? 

My answer: TNS would release warnings relating to health and safety freely. Other content would have a modest cost. Some of the more interesting but none critical pieces might be behind a higher tier of premium content. Same with most news agencies. The ones that give it away likely have an agenda.

h) I'm assuming other agencies that have scope of Bob's current stop would have new packets that they would give part of away (as a hook or public service) and other bits would be paid for based on my assumptions about the TNS. Does that sound reasonable?

My answer: In some cases, more 'intelligence' like news (perhaps business news or stuff to do with upcoming changes in a conflict or political alignment) would be in the premium cost tier. Like getting access to Jane's strategic roundups for the week. 

i) How much are player characters coming in from other places with info going to be able to get for their stories / things they know that haven't reached their current location? What's a tip or article worth?

My answer: I don't know. 

j) Do interface locations (borders or domain boundaries or sector boundaries, etc) tend to be dealt with by smaller scope news agencies by way of peering arrangements? Like CBC reports some American news and some of the US channels report some Canadian news? 

My answer: One would think so. 

k) Is TNS conceptually modelled after the news wires like the Associated Press or Reuters? More focused on moving around news and monetizing it than in doing free work in the public interest?

My answer: Kind of. It may have some reporters, but it is more like a big news wire in our modern world. 

Thoughts? Commentary? Other queries or quandries about how TNS and other news services work in play?

TomB

PS - I blame Jeff Z. for starting something in my head.