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:

cl_en_2008 - Get more Business Documents

A note on the survey's methodology:

note_methodo_eng - Get more Business Documents

Comments

[frappe]

The ranking is the natural result of a government that allows corporations to exert extraordinary influence over governmental, institutional, and political affairs. Until we effectively limit the corporation to one vote, just as we do with individuals and as our constitution dictates, and until we limit the extent to which lobbyists and special interests are allowed to contribute monetarily to politicians, political parties, and political campaigns, then we will not see any real change take place that would serve to elevate us to the top of that list of countries who support and encourage a "free press".

[frappe]

Sorry, but meant to say that a corporation, legally speaking, is treated as one individual. Of course corporations, as an entity, are not allowed to vote in elections.

[TrooAmerican]

This is the reason the Republicans continue to get away with everything and no one cares, and the real journalists with balls and integrity get slapped in jail and beaten up by our "Protect and Serve" police instead of being able to hold Republican politicians accountable.

This is one of the main reasons that i value NO republican endorsement of Obama.

The Entire Republican party is complicit and supportive of destroyin our constitution for their own personal power and greed agenda. ALL OF THEM.

[SOLERSO68]

hear hear. enough talk. lets do.

[SurrealPumpkin]

Honor those who speak out.

[DangerWillRobinson]

If this is true, the media and many Americans have only ourselves to blame. Look at the incest uous relationship between the media and government. one has only to turn on the "news" to one day see an elected official heading right towards a cushy job in front of the camera.

it's a self imposed censorship that benefits the very rich; talking heads and reporters alike.

Press Freedom? Give me a break. Who stops them from reporting the news? Themselves, that's who.

[leira07]

really, and the republicans accusing obama of socialism really ought to take a look at this list..
they deride him for turning into some kind of european-"spreading the wealth"-so­cialist-el­ite
and how many countries in the top are european..? hm
the republicans probably think freedom of speech is elitist too..

[proveit2me]

Does this mean that those that "Hate us for our freedoms" just kind of dislike us now?

[SOLERSO68]

LOL..

[faust2001]

Viva Iceland! They may be fiscally bankrupt but at least they're not morally bankrupt.

[SOLERSO68]

yeah too bad for them they used american brokerage firms.what were they thinking?

[booksnmore4you]

America is the greatest country in the world.

Oh, wait.

[faust2001]

It turns out "banana republic" isn't just an unfortunately named clothing store.

[joewalters]

This is a shame and disrespect to our Constitution.

[philistine]

Money turns news into entertainment, hence our current plight. Corporate ownership of news organizations should be outlawed.

[miamia]

Here Here!

[normalkid0615]

No comment

[AZterritory]

Seems to me this election cycle has pointed out the many times the MSM has been "free" to report on what counts, and chooses not to do it. If it wasn't for alternative sites like Huffpost, Truthout, etc., there would be a screaming dearth of REAL news. The press is only as free as they choose to make it, and only as stupid or dumbed down as they choose to make it (FOX news, need we say more?)

[TroubleNYC]

This is news because?

[mishi]

Because you found it interesting enough to read it?

[DeniseD]

You don't find this troubling? Amazing!

[TroubleNYC]

Troubling? Yes. Surprising? Not at all.