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Lots of people are outraged that Sony Pictures Entertainment is dropping plans to release The Interview, the Seth Rogen comedy that depicts the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Folks from Hollywood stars to film critics are complaining that pulling the film due to vague threats against theaters scheduled to show it is in essence allowing terrorists to triumph.

For instance, actress Mia Farrow says the bad guys won due to Sonys decision. At Vox, writer Todd VanDerWerff says Sony has committed an act of cowardice.

The move has set a bad precedent thats already affecting future movies, according to Mr. VanDerWerff entertainment company New Regency has now scrapped another North Korea-based film set to star Steve Carroll. Its de facto censorship emanating from Pyongyang, writes Mr. VanDerWerff.

Sony is not an arm of the US government, however. Its a multinational corporation legally accountable to shareholders. Given that context, did it make the correct business decision to cancel the comedy?

The answer to that might be yes.

Most theaters werent going to show the movie to begin with. The big US cinema chains had made it clear that they would not risk any violence in their buildings by screening it, however vague the threats. Going to the movies is supposed to be fun, not an act of personal courage, in their view.

The movie business is already facing stiff competition from the fast rise of streaming services and high-quality television productions. Cinema owners did not want The Interview to give patrons another reason to stay home on the couch. Since most theaters are multiplexes, they feared the controversy could drive down attendance for other movies as well.

Then theres the legal question. The chain which owned the theater in Aurora, Colo., attacked by a gunman in 2012 has defended against lawsuits by saying the incident was not foreseeable. The threats against The Interview might have rendered this defense moot.

Once the hackers threatened physical violence, the films cancellation became almost inevitable, write Brooks Barnes and Michael Cieply in The New York Times.

Plus, the film was not getting great reviews, alleged North Korean threats aside. While that might not bear on the question of censorship, it could play into an executives decision as to whether to absorb the cost of scrapping Sonys investment in the film.

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'The Interview' uproar: Was ditching flick right business call for Sony? (+video)

[MaMOE14] Media Control Baltrum Breaking News
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"This wouldn't even happen in China": George Yang. Photo: Andrew Meares

Chinese journalists covering the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 from Canberra are furious at what they see as Australian government control of the media.

On Sunday, two Chinese crews decided to chase Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss into a car park at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority after being denied access to an AMSA briefing attended by Australian media.

The crews held an impromptu interview with Mr Truss but have complained at being ''locked out'' of any chance to put questions to AMSA boss John Young. On Monday, AMSA posted a security guard at the front of its headquarters.

George Yang, the chief correspondent for Hong Kong's Phoenix Satellite Television, said he had been asked to prove his credentials while he prepared to do a cross from public land. ''This wouldn't even happen in China,'' Yang said.

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''It's been very frustrating, there seems to be a Chinese media blackout. It is unbelievable that this is happening in Australia. There are relatives in China who are devastated and looking for answers.''

In a statement, AMSA said the security guard had been posted ''to prevent media vehicles from blocking access to the building and to prevent unauthorised access.

''AMSA rejects any claims that we are treating members of the Chinese media any differently to others. Yesterday's media event was a pool arrangement organised in conjunction with the federal press gallery committee to allow access to the Rescue Coordination Centre whilst minimising disruption to the operations.

''Chinese media requested to join the pool but the request was declined by AMSA and they were advised to contact the press gallery committee to arrange access to the pool content, which was also made available on our website.''

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We're being 'locked out': Chinese media

Finnish media company Sanoma Oyj (SAA1V) started selling its Russian assets, agreeing to divest a stake in a local publisher as the country restricts foreign ownership of magazines and newspapers.

Sanoma will sell its 50 percent stake in Fashion Press, which publishes Cosmopolitan and Esquire in Russia, the Helsinki-based company said today in a statement. Hearst Shkulev Media, a venture of entrepreneur Viktor Shkulev with U.S. media company Hearst Corp., is buying the stake.

President Vladimir Putin signed a law in October that requires media companies to reduce foreign ownership to 20 percent by 2016. Since becoming president in 2000, Putin has brought major TV stations under state control, pushing opposition discourse toward the Web. This year, as geopolitical tensions flared over the conflict in Ukraine, Putin has tightened control over the Internet and media.

Sanoma said the sale is part of a strategic review it announced in 2013 to redesign its consumer media operations. The company said it will continue to assess strategic options for the remaining assets of its Sanoma Independent Media unit, which oversees its Russian operations.

The companys holdings in the country include publisher of Mens Health and National Geographic and stake in the Vedomosti daily, published jointly with the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ilya Khrennikov in Moscow at ikhrennikov@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Kenneth Wong at kwong11@bloomberg.net Ville Heiskanen

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Sanoma to Sell Stake in Russia Publisher Amid Media Law Changes