United States Ranked 36th In The World For Press Freedom

The United States is ranked 36th in the world in terms of press freedom, up from 48th last year, according to a report released Wednesday by Reporters Sans Frontieres.

The US is tied with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde, South Africa, Spain, and Taiwan in the 36th spot. Iceland, Luxembourg, and Norway are tied for first. Iran, China, Vietnam, Cuba, and North Korea are all featured among the ten lowest-ranked countries.

According to the survey, the index "measures the state of press freedom in the world. It reflects the degree of freedom that journalists and news organisations enjoy in each country, and the efforts made by the authorities to respect and ensure respect for this freedom."

The ranking examines "every kind of violation directly affecting journalists (such as murders, imprisonment, physical attacks and threats) and news media (censorship, confiscation of newspaper issues, searches and harassment). And it includes the degree of impunity enjoyed by those responsible for these press freedom violations."

Self-censorship, financial pressure, the legal framework of the media, and the level of independence of the public media are also taken into account.

The report explains the United States' rise from 48th to 36th:

The release of Al-Jazeera cameraman Sami Al-Haj after six years in the Guantanamo Bay military base contributed to this improvement. Although the absence of a federal "shield law" means the confidentiality of sources is still threatened by federal courts, the number of journalists being subpoenaed or forced to reveal their sources has declined in recent months and none has been sent to prison. But the August 2007 murder of Oakland Post editor Chauncey Bailey in Oakland, California, is still unpunished a year later. The way the investigation into his murder has become enmeshed in local conflicts of interest and the lack of federal judicial intervention also help to explain why the United States did not get a higher ranking. Account was also taken of the many arrests of journalists during the Democratic and Republican conventions.

View the entire index below:

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A note on the survey's methodology:

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Comments

[Wicasta]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Index included in this article show the United States as 41st, not 36th? Bosnia and Herzegovina is 36th.

[roald]

Five-way tie for 36. Country names are listed alphabetically for tie.

[MarryAnn]

It is a tie at the particular position. Look at the note. The first three countries all have the same numerical note.

[junebuginFL]

Here is some fairness on the Financial crisis, you dont see this reported. NYT in Sep 2003 on Fannie/Freddie problems

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E06E3D6123BF932A2575AC0A9659C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print

[adzeman]

After eight years of the GOP, I'm surprised we are as high as that. Recently the NY Times wrote an in depth article on the decline of US influence on the world legal systems. We as a people often don't realize how our freedoms inspire the rest of the world. The bush trashing of the Justice Dept, the fringe elements on the Supreme Court have done more damage to both our rights but our standing in the world than all other bush crimes.
Our Press' cowardice disgusts me, but the concerted effort of bushco to muzzle them is treasonous.

[Fenianheart]

To be fair, the press was literally targeted by the regime. Some of the press had the right to be afraid.

[PeepingTom]

But we're Number ONE among modern countries who don't think everyone should have health care!
We're practically No. 1 in uneducated morons who think every non-white person is a terr'ist!

See, we're at the top of some things. That's all that matters.

[mirza]

P*ss poor!

[melissasusan24]

Seriously? And to think that most people tout our legendary freedoms as a source of our power. Clearly not.

[RTIII]

GREAT photograph to choose for this article.

...I'm surprised we're as high as 36th and not _dead_last._
.

[roald]

You don't really mean or want that. As you move toward the bottom, newspapers are shut down, large numbers of reporters, photographers, and editors are imprisoned or killed. Publications are edited by the government before being published. Access to information on the Internet is restricted.

[RTIII]

Oh, I don't think it would ever come to that HERE: MONEY is the reason why - it's FAR more profitable to just buy the media you want!

What we have now is a state sponsored propaganda machine that hardly ever tells us what we need to know. More than 90% of the media _today_ is in the hands of FIVE people. Do your research. They are in no danger.

Were you aware that Junior has been spending an AVERAGE of $800M per year on propaganda purchases in the so-called main stream media?

You're right, I don't want imprisonment or killings of reporters. However, we could be at the bottom in terms of the effectiveness of our media at telling us what we need to know - take the 9/11 false-flag events, for example...
.

[walk0nwalls]

Freeeeedom!!!!!!!!

*this call is being monitered by the NSA*

[AverageTodd]

This is bad, real bad. A free press is the only way to provide accurate information to the people. It's bad enough that the MSM is run by businesspersons and not journalists but, without access the people don't even have a chance. The only reason this isn't a bigger issue... who is going to report it?

[PeepingTom]

I am always amazed to hear Americans say we live in the greatest country in the world, when they have no understanding of the rest of the world.

e have very little freedom of the press. Thats it's a rule doesn't mean its enforced. That's why Americans are uneducated, because we have little access to our leaders.

Can you imagine a press conference if McCain is prez? The reporters may as well not show up.

Obama 08

[castrochavez08]

Your first sentence is a closed loop Tom. We have no understanding because our media are highly skilled propagandists working for and with our fascist government and corporations.

Until we realize that we are victims of propaganda, we will not be able to make the necessary changes to our system to eliminate that propaganda. And we all need to try to realize just how good they are at fooling us. Your belief that Obama is not part of this grand illusion is proof positive of that.
He just gives you different spin and lies, in a kinder gentler fashion than Republican thugs like Bush.

Today the ACLU is boldly trying to force our government to open up about the military being used to police our streets.
And just as it was with the FISA violations, the Democrats (and Obama) were giving silent tacit support to Republicans by not siding with the ACLU, and by not even offering words of support or respect. Nothing.
Don't believe me? Google it.

[biding4brilliance]

So what exactly is your solution...anarchy? We need a government, like their games or not.

[DallasMike]

We do live in the greatest country on earth.
It's just you have been told by the Dems and the media that America is evil.
How can you have freedom of the press when the press abandons the notion of unbiased reporting?
When you have news men like Oberman and such who publicly suport one party over the other how can you be sure you are getting the truth and not just the truth acording to him.
Just because he says it is so does not make it so.

[patrickgarret]

OMG. O'Reilly? Hanity? Rush? Hipocrite!

[biding4brilliance]

I think you miss the point of free speech. It means you're entitled to report those opinions. Olbermann makes no attempt to hide the fact that he is an editorialist. He's not supposed to appear unbiased. The point is, he makes his point.

[milurOH]

Olberman's show is not a news show, it is opinion/commentary. That is why he's allowed to give his opinion on the air. If you want just news, stick the the broadcast channels not cable. Brian Williams, the anchor of NBC Nightly News, will not publicly give support to any candidate.

[walk0nwalls]

Bill Moyers says so, NPR says so, Internal Cenus report says so, International polls say so, Esteemed college say so, the impoverished of this nation say so.

This is NOT the greatest nation on earth. Saying so will not make it so.

[BluePride]

other rankings we're just as 'GREAT' - infant mortality, longevity, suicide rates, uninsured, murder rate, incarceration etc... America # 1 ( as the red states would see it) lemme add:

The Ballad of Johnny McCain:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDceTz3UAgI

Everybody RUN... HomeComing Queen Palin's got a GUN!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59mOukUZNUo

Sam, Patti & a 22-year old Diane: A Change IS Gonna Come:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTba2ERcsrw

humor & inspiration, take your pick!

[jt307]

Obviously this report was made prior to one of our two political parties deciding it would give us a possible successor to the throne without the pleasure of hearing her give a single press conference. I thought we would be lower. The RWB either watches a lot of BBC America News coverage and Jim Lehrer Newshour to score us this high, or feels that all our radio stations being owned by 4 companies, our TV stations being owned by 5 companies, our major newspapers being closed or consolidated, and our wire news service being perennially in the tank for one party is enough to suffice the masses and gets us as high as 36 in the rankings. Hopefully the FCC can get on the job and push for more consolidation and deregulation so our score and freedom can continue to suffer. If we aren't going to be the best/freest we might as well be the worst.

[swift goat pet for truth]

36TH?

That's GREAT!
We used to be 48TH!!!
What other country in the WORLD moved up TWELVE places?
We IMPROVED 25%. We place in the TOP 1/6th in the WORLD!!!

USA, the GREATEST improvement for freedom of the press IN THE WORLD!!!

Will this be on FAUX News soon?

[Bluedanube]

The juxtaposition of the story about the abysmal U.S. press next to the story on O'Reilly being paid 10 million dollars speaks volumes. Don't have to look very far on why the 4th Estate in the U.S. is a sham.

[Mainer36]

THIS SHOULD BE HEADLINED ON THE HOMEPAGE!!!

[evekendall]

I agree!

[3worldusa]

LETS FACE IT WERE OVERRATED AND HAVE BEEN FOR SOMETIME. THANK A REPUBLICAN VOTER AND THEIR CANDIDATES FOR MAKING OUR COUNTRY A THIRD WORLD NATION.

[devildog21]

WRONG! Corporations have NO constitutional right to voting in this country. The people who run them get their vote and that should be it.

Of the PEOPLE, for the PEOPLE, by the PEOPLE! NOT corporations!!

[Donde]

You would think, but not necessarily true. Google "Corporate Persons" or slog through the 1886 Supremes case that has been cited to give corps 14th amendment protections:

U.S. Supreme Court
SANTA CLARA COUNTY v. SOUTHERN PAC. R. CO., 118 U.S. 394 (1886)
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=118&invol=394

[1099]

Can you accurately define the term "Third Worl"? I doubt it.

If you think that this country started it's downturn only when Bush got into office then you're even more narrow-minded and uninformed than most of the geniuses who opine here.

[3worldusa]

READ YOUR PROFILE AND IN THE SHORT RANTING THAT I'VE READ YOU ARE ONE ARROGANT SOB.WHAT MAKES YOU SOOOO SMART .I CERTAINLY DIDNT SEE ANYTHING BUT HOW YOU QUESTION EVERYBODY ELSES INTELLIGENCE.. UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME ,ALL MY BEST POSTINGS ARE DELETED,FOR WHAT I DONT KNOW. WERE NOT A FREE COUNTRY AND YOU MAY BE CORRECT THAT WERE NOT A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY,BUT WERE DEFINETLY NOT A FIRST WORLD COUNTRY OR A SUPERPOWER FOR THAT MATTER .