NationStates Jolt Archive

According to Reporters Without Borders, my country is among the eight countries with the most press freedom. The others are Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, and Switzerland. The USA came at #22, France came at #19 and the UK came at #28.
Yesterday they released their Worldwide press freedom index 2004.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reporters_Without_Borders

Unsurprisingly, the least free countries were North Korea, Cuba, Burma, Turkmenistan, Eritrea and China.

Wow--only #22 and we have a protection for a free press written into our Constitution. That's pathetic.

Mind you I only skimmed it....

A question I would ask is the measure of the claims vs articles printed.

Say for example in Ireland. Has there been many articles bashing the IRA?

You must remember that the TV and much print media in the US is run by humongous corporations that also have massive influence on our government.

Media = corporate run
Government = corporate run
Media = Government run

America dont hold the monoploy in freedom, not by a long shot, so this doesn't suprise me.

Say for example in Ireland. Has there been many articles bashing the IRA?
Yes, lots. Everyone hates the IRA here.

The org is French. Hmmmmmm.

Keep in mind that there are 167 countries. Anything above 40 is pretty good in comparison.

Not bad for those in the top 50. I just wonder, however, what the criteria was for grading these countries. It's obvious for the last few (tight censorship), but what about those that scored high?

Wow--only #22 and we have a protection for a free press written into our Constitution. That's pathetic.
Three words: Federal Communications Commission

American media is to biased on way or the other. I hardly belive Fox News or CNN. How accurate is it?

It is common knowledge that people in other countries have more freedom and better quality of life than those in the US.

It is common knowledge that people in other countries have more freedom and better quality of life than those in the US.
The topic is of freedom of the press not individual freedoms.

The topic is of freedom of the press not individual freedoms.
Thank you.....

Say for example in Ireland. Has there been many articles bashing the IRA?

Certainly, but bear in mind that the IRA and other paramilitary groups have no actual official connection to the Irish State, which makes your question somewhat less relevant that it might at first appear.

Whoo! we're the second best score!!

Ofc, 8 countries finished equal ahead of us, but I'm glad we smoked Latvia...

American media is to biased on way or the other. I hardly belive Fox News or CNN. How accurate is it?
quoting the poll itself, "The survey asks questions about direct attacks on journalists and the media as well as other indirect sources of pressure against the free press. RWB is careful to note that the index only deals with press freedom, and does not measure the quality of journalism."

What does attacks on the press mean? Verbal criticism? Legal injunction? Violent physical attack? The fact that a given publication have an editorial slant is not important. That it is able to express that slant is. Well cripes, what he hell are they talking about? What are the criterion? What standing does this organization have?

What does attacks on the press mean? Verbal criticism? Legal injunction? Violent physical attack? The fact that a given publication have an editorial slant is not important. That it is able to express that slant is. Well cripes, what he hell are they talking about? What are the criterion? What standing does this organization have?
I'm guessing lawsuits are included in 'attacks on the press'.

The org is French. Hmmmmmm.

?? How do you figure?

Canada didn't do all that well either, and I'm not surprised. The media is concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, and various journalists have been fired for writing pieces that went against editorial bias... unfortunately, not enough Canadians are aware of just how biased our media is.

Wow--only #22 and we have a protection for a free press written into our Constitution. That's pathetic.
"Only" #22. Let's get rid of those darn libel laws, that'll bump us up a few notches.

Canada didn't do all that well either, and I'm not surprised. The media is concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, and various journalists have been fired for writing pieces that went against editorial bias... unfortunately, not enough Canadians are aware of just how biased our media is.

It's all about convergence, and it's happening all across the globe. A newspaper, is by default, a company. A television station is a company. When the two gain a certain amount of coporate power, it's only natural they become a larger conglomerate.

As a journalist living in Canada, I'm not terribly worried about the Freedom of the press. I simply have to ignore a large part of it on a larger scale. Here, we have CanWest Global, which runs the National Post and Global Communications. It runs analogous to the US' Fox News or other media giants.
You judge yourself if you can trust it. Don't even get me started on Bell/Globe media. I work for smaller papers, community papers. And If I have to find out what's happening in the world, I like to check three different sources and approximate exactly what is going on. It's always good to get a second opinion. We also have the problems associated with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canada , which effectively trumps some of our more sensitive (but not necessarily political) reporting.

But what's really scary is the effective and subtle exploitation of words we hear in news reports. It might be the natural progression of the English language, but I hope not.

Increased kidnappings of foreigners in Iraq garner such words as terrorism and torture. When a select few of the American military humiliated several prisoners by stripping them naked and forcing them to do sexual poses, it was called an immoral act. How is it not torture? Canadian military officials are also to blame for similar instances in Somalia, because of this event (http://www.socialism.com/fsarticles/vol18no1/canada181.html)

Our government run media (the CBC) doesn't use the word terrorism unless it is in context. I guess my point is that even with an unbiased and informed media, a person still needs to make their own informed choices about the press. A lot of people still think there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. (even though the US government has admitted there aren't)

Yes, lots. Everyone hates the IRA here.

Do you reckon the freedom from pressure and intimidation of the press is a result of the backlash against the murder of Veronica Guerin?

It's all about convergence, and it's happening all across the globe. A newspaper, is by default, a company. A television station is a company. When the two gain a certain amount of coporate power, it's only natural they become a larger conglomerate.

As a journalist living in Canada, I'm not terribly worried about the Freedom of the press. I simply have to ignore a large part of it on a larger scale. Here, we have CanWest Global, which runs the National Post and Global Communications. It runs analogous to the US' Fox News or other media giants.
You judge yourself if you can trust it. Don't even get me started on Bell/Globe media. I work for smaller papers, community papers. And If I have to find out what's happening in the world, I like to check three different sources and approximate exactly what is going on. It's always good to get a second opinion. We also have the problems associated with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canada , which effectively trumps some of our more sensitive (but not necessarily political) reporting.

But what's really scary is the effective and subtle exploitation of words we hear in news reports. It might be the natural progression of the English language, but I hope not.

Increased kidnappings of foreigners in Iraq garner such words as terrorism and torture. When a select few of the American military humiliated several prisoners by stripping them naked and forcing them to do sexual poses, it was called an immoral act. How is it not torture? Canadian military officials are also to blame for similar instances in Somalia, because of this event (http://www.socialism.com/fsarticles/vol18no1/canada181.html)

Our government run media (the CBC) doesn't use the word terrorism unless it is in context. I guess my point is that even with an unbiased and informed media, a person still needs to make their own informed choices about the press. A lot of people still think there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. (even though the US government has admitted there aren't)

Hear hear.

Hasta la victoria siempre.