NationStates Jolt Archive


Annual Press Freedom Index for 2005

Aryavartha
05-05-2006, 17:07
Surprising (and not so surprising:p ) results in the new Annual Press Freedom Index for 2005 by the Paris-based 'Reporters Without Borders'.

http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=554
North Korea once again comes bottom of the Reporters Without Borders fourth annual World Press Freedom Index, released today. It is closely followed in the 167-country list by Eritrea (166th) and Turkmenistan (165th)
..
East Asia (Burma 163rd, China 159th, Vietnam 158th, Laos 155th), Central Asia (Turkmenistan 165th, Uzbekistan 155th, Afghanistan 125th, Kazakhstan 119th) and the Middle East (Iran 164th, Iraq 157th, Saudi Arabia 154th, Syria 145th) are where journalists have the toughest time and where government repression or armed groups prevent the media operating freely.

The situation in Iraq (157th) deteriorated further during the year as the safety of journalists became more precarious. At least 24 journalists and media assistants have been killed so far this year, making it the mostly deadly conflict for the media since World War II. A total of 72 media workers have been killed since the fighting began in March 2003.

But more and more African and Latin American countries (Benin 25th, Namibia 25th, El Salvador 28th, Cape Verde 29th, Mauritius 34th, Mali 37th, Costa Rica 41st and Bolivia 45th) are getting very good rankings.

Western democracies slip back

Some Western democracies slipped down the Index. The United States (44th) fell more than 20 places, mainly because of the imprisonment of New York Times reporter Judith Miller and legal moves undermining the privacy of journalistic sources. Canada (21st) also dropped several places due to decisions that weakened the privacy of sources and sometimes turned journalists into “court auxiliaries.” France (30th) also slipped, largely because of searches of media offices, interrogations of journalists and introduction of new press offences.

At the top of the Index once again are northern European countries Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Norway and the Netherlands, where robust press freedom is firmly established. The top 10 countries are all European. New Zealand (12th), Trinidad and Tobago (12th), Benin (25th) and South Korea (34th) are the highest-ranked countries in other continents.
Press freedom, economic development and independence

Countries that have recently won their independence or have recovered it are very observant of press freedom and give the lie to the insistence of many authoritarian leaders that democracy takes decades to establish itself. Nine states that have had independence (or recovered it within the past 15 years) are among the top 60 countries - Slovenia (9th), Estonia (11th), Latvia (16th), Lithuania (21st), Namibia (25th), Bosnia-Herzegovina (33rd), Macedonia (43rd), Croatia (56th) and East Timor (58th).

The Index also contradicts the frequent argument by leaders of poor and repressive countries that economic development is a vital precondition for democracy and respect for human rights. The top of the Index is heavily dominated by rich countries, but several very poor ones (with a per capita GDP of less than $1,000 in 2003) are among the top 60, such as Benin (25th), Mali (37th), Bolivia (45th), Mozambique (49th), Mongolia (53rd), Niger (57th) and East Timor (58th).


The report says that US has fallen 20 places from last year. Really? do you think so?
Bodies Without Organs
05-05-2006, 17:09
The report says that US has fallen 20 places from last year. Really? do you think so?

Given that the list is a comparative one, surely we would need an indepth understanding of the press freedoms of all other countries in order to provide an informed decision?
Aryavartha
05-05-2006, 17:32
Given that the list is a comparative one, surely we would need an indepth understanding of the press freedoms of all other countries in order to provide an informed decision?

Yes. You are right of course. :)
Potarius
05-05-2006, 17:34
Heh, it's all Scandinavian countries at the top. Hardly surprising, really.
Tactical Grace
05-05-2006, 17:37
Heh, it's all Scandinavian countries at the top. Hardly surprising, really.
Yeah, some people's values are just better.
Potarius
05-05-2006, 17:38
Yeah, some people's values are just better.

Hahaha.

*hands you a rather large, chunky cookie*
Bodies Without Organs
05-05-2006, 17:46
Heh, it's all Scandinavian countries at the top. Hardly surprising, really.

Ireland, the Netherlands and Switzerland are now Scandinavian countries? When did this happen, and why wasn't I informed?
Psychotic Mongooses
05-05-2006, 17:47
Heh, it's all Scandinavian countries at the top. Hardly surprising, really.

Ireland and the Netherlands are Scandinavian now?

Edit: Dammit! Beaten to it.
AB Again
05-05-2006, 17:47
I am more than slightly concerned to see Brazil down in 63rd.

As far as I can establish there is little or no restriction on the freedom of the press here. In fact as we have emerged relatively recently from a heavily censored period under miliitary dictatorship the freedom of the press is highly valued and politically very sensitive.

I would question whether one or other isolated incident of jouranlists being targetted by criminals has an effect on the rating. Certainly these have ocurred here, but the criminals involved have always been very severely dealt with by the police and the justice system afterwards.

Is there any clarification as to how much of the restriction on the press comes from the political institutions of the country and how much comes from financial or criminal intimidation?
Potarius
05-05-2006, 17:47
Guess I should've said very top to spare myself the unparallelled, quick wit of you guys, eh?

Edit: Though looking at it closely this time, It's Denmark at the top. Shit happens when one speed reads.
Bodies Without Organs
05-05-2006, 17:50
Guess I should've said very top to spare myself the unparallelled, quick wit of you guys, eh?

Edit: Though looking at it closely this time, It's Denmark at the top. Shit happens when one speed reads.

Amazing coincidence that those ranked joint first with the same score just so happen to end up in alphabetical order, isn't it?
Potarius
05-05-2006, 17:52
Amazing coincidence that those ranked joint first with the same score just so happen to end up in alphabetical order, isn't it?

Hm, now that's strange.

I'd speed read less often, but it's too convenient to stop! Forget all the little nuances you miss! :p
I V Stalin
05-05-2006, 17:52
UK down in 24th. Well, it's one better than Benin, I guess. :p
Sonaj
05-05-2006, 17:53
@Potarius: And Denmark is a Scandinavian country. Things are working well for you, huh?
Tactical Grace
05-05-2006, 17:54
UK down in 24th. Well, it's one better than Benin, I guess. :p
Entirely down to the libel rules, I'm sure. The British press is one of the most brutally anti-government I have ever seen. The problem is, their silence can be bought by hiring lawyers.
Potarius
05-05-2006, 17:55
@Potarius: And Denmark is a Scandinavian country. Things are working well for you, huh?

Eh, not this morning, obviously. :p

But don't worry. My brain will get on track soon enough.
Neu Leonstein
06-05-2006, 01:20
Interesting that the whole JP-cartoon thing didn't seem to affect Denmark negatively. I would've thought the whole controversy might have had an effect.

I suppose maybe they interpreted it as a good thing.
Boonytopia
06-05-2006, 03:39
I thought Australia's rating would have slipped lower, due to the new sedition laws that were passed last year.