It's finally happened. Journalism exposing one specific group has been labelled terrorism

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/11/02-2

 

Perspective is critical here. It depends on which state's interests we're talking about. So Suharto was considered a hero by some, and a terrorist by others. Gaddhafi. Saddam. OBL. Etc. At different points of their lives, they were on different sides of the fence - considered a hero and a terrorist by the same state(s). Anti-Russian groups were treated like heroes in the past, but when those same groups became anti-"Western" they became terrorists although their behavior did not change in any significant way. Sunni terrorist groups in Iran are being treated like heroes right now when they were on the terrorist list just a half decade ago.

By the same token, these writers are being treated like terrorists in one instance, but not others. This nuance is critical - it shows that the UK government (in this example) will come down on you hard if you reveal their indiscretions to the public, but will in fact champion you if you keep their dirty laundry hidden. It shows that it's not a matter of principle at all for the UK government, but rather a case of treating humans like dogs.

So to qualify what you're saying here, it's probably "any activity that runs counter to a state's own interests directly or indirectly, during a specific period of time."