closely associated with

[mei]

Hi,

Could anyone help me with the underlined pharse?


It would be only in the course of the next dacade that television reporters would truly begin the long process toward realizing the ideal of 'free speech' more closely associated with their rivals in the newspaper press.

Thanks a lot.

 

[Tdol]

It suggests that the printed press was ahead of TV in free speaking and it took time for TV reporters to catch up. ;-)