Syria's media war: What you need to know

Reporting from inside Syria is becoming increasingly difficult for foreign journalists.

But all forms of media - particularly Syrian state TV - are strictly controlled to serve the interests of the regime, and Syria currently ranks 176th out of 179 countries in the International Press Freedom Index.

BBC Monitoring's Mike Linstead explains how social media sites are becoming the new battleground for control of news and information as pro-government and anti-government activists use the internet to get their side of the conflict across.