Spanish Government can fine newspapers for not reporting something.

[Perikles]

Incredible as it sounds, the Spanish government has anounced plans to place fines between €30,000 and €600,000 on "communication media" which do not publish warnings issued by the government, or more specifically if they do not collaborate with the authorities in the dissemination of information concerning a national emergency.

So if some fringe blog in Tenerife fails to report some government warning like, say, a yellow alert for raised levels of facism by arseholes, she could be landed with a fine €600,000 which might eat a long way into the wine budget.

Is this another attack on freedom of expression, or is it common sense? 

[Nova]

Ouch, that seems like common sense with regard to the media big boys but it sounds like it could be pretty nasty if applied and enforced across the board.  I don't think you need to cut down on your wine just yet though since the blogger sitting near you is hot stuff that reports alerts almost before the authorities know about them themselves 

[Guanche]

Well one would hope its common sense, so long as any prosecution is applied with common sense. I can see only one problem, there is no common sense!
I forgot to mention thank god we have Janet! As Nova says Janet puts them out as soon as the authoritys does!