Media Censorship - Good or Bad?

In Wednesday's class, we touched upon the topic of censorship of the media by government, and how certain things, like bodies of dead soldiers, will never be seen on a television screen to protect America's image. Often, media institutions censor themselves to uphold the interests of the dominant political system at hand. This got me thinking about how there is so much we as citizens don't know about because of this tactic. Recently, there was controversy brewing because a terror plot against the United States was well under way, but the government intervened in enough time to stop it. I remember watching the news with Mayor Bloomberg saying that New York City mass transit was a highly potential target of these terrorists, and encouraged us as New Yorkers to be alert at all times. Not long after, taking the subway went along with seeing dozens of NYPD officers at some of the most popular stops. Censorship comes into play because it had me wondering, Just how serious and far along were these terror plots? Is there still a high risk of an attack happening so close to home? As an avid 24 watcher where every season Jack Bauer stops terror plots just in the nick of time, these questions naturally ran through my head (also proving the theory correct of how media can shape and influence or perceptions of how dangerous the world is). I know that the government and media chose to restrict the amount of information they gave us to make sure chaos did not ensure throughout all of New York. Censorship is good in a way because in some ways, it goes along with the concept of "ignorance is bliss." But, how much ignorance do I want as an American citizen? I'm sure if people knew just how serious some of these plots were, it could affect how some of them would travel. As for me, knowing that there isn't a real life Jack Bauer to save the day is unsettling; but then again, that could also be a secret that the government is censoring as well.