Final answer:
The government can use media censorship, media ownership regulations, and media literacy programs to influence media content but not media freedom as it allows journalism to operate without interference.
Step-by-step explanation:
The government can use a variety of tools to encourage positive stories and constrain negative stories written by journalists. These tools include media censorship, which involves suppressing undesirable information; media ownership regulations, which can influence the editorial stance of the media by controlling its ownership; and media literacy programs, which are designed to educate the public on how to discern and evaluate media content critically. However, the one option among those listed that the government cannot use to encourage positive stories while restraining negative ones is indeed media freedom. Media freedom is fundamental for a democratic society and allows journalists to operate without government interference, supporting the free flow of information and critical scrutiny of government actions.