Reporters Without Borders (RWB) is a non-profit organization that evaluates freedom of the press in countries throughout the world. The latest index is from their website at http://www.rsf.org/
The criticism of RWB is that it is funded by U.S. and Western European sources that are too critical of Cuba and Castro. Cuba ranks 162 out of 167 on the RWB index. Accordingly, this site is probably not pro-left in its view of the world governments. The ranking of the United States is 44 out of 167 on American territory. However, the U.S. ranks 137 out of 162 for its reporting on Iraq.
Some of the funders of RWB have been known backers of U.S. foreign policy. Given the criteria for this index as described below, it probably represents a reasonable comparative analysis of U.S. freedom of the press. I am sure most of you have already sensed what RWB is reporting.
The good news about this is that the mainstream print and broadcast media are paying a major economic price for their skewed reporting of the news. Radio and television news shows are rapidly declining in market share and print media is in a free fall mode especially in the critical 25-54 age group.
I was recently interviewed by a reporter concerning our efforts to bring Air America Radio and liberal talk radio to new markets throughout the U.S. I was questioned about the perceived lack of political involvement by younger adults today compared to the 60s and the Viet Nam era. Beside the fact that there is no draft, part of the reason is that the younger people today are not going to read or listen to news that is depressing and fearful. The "baby boomers" (BBs) were so propagandized with "duck and cover" nuclear fear that an entire post war generation has been lost in terms of its ability to think objectively. The "red scare" and the fear of the Soviet Union set the stage for our leaders in business and government to set a belief pattern of the BBs that does not allow for objective thinking in America. That is why many voters believe that our security is better served by a strong military budget.
The fact is that the military budget in this country for the last 60 years is just as fraudulent as what we have seen in the latest corporate cronyism exposed in the present Iraq war. And the trillions of dollars that this country wasted in military expenditures has only served to reduce national security. The poverty in this country and the rest of the world is a clear and present danger to us. But, the youth of today want more independent and upbeat stories about news events in this country and the world. That is why they get most of their news from Comedy Central and Saturday Night Live. It is a lesson that the BBs that run the media in this country should learn before they go out of business.
It may be that a higher ranking by the U.S. on the RWB index of freedom of the press may be good for business and may provide the market share for the MSN of younger people before the BBs die out. That is the message that our young people are giving the MSM today about news reporting. They will not listen to a horror show of bad news with reporters that are merely reading the official releases of government and police agencies intending to scare the people.
Worldwide press freedom index
2005 press freedom ranking RWB compiles and publishes an annual ranking of countries based upon the organization's assessment of their press freedom records. Small countries, such as Malta, and Andorra, are excluded from this report. The 2005 list was published in October 2005
The report is based on a questionnaire sent to partner organisations of Reporters Without Borders (14 freedom of expression groups in five continents) and its 130 correspondents around the world, as well as to journalists, researchers, jurists and human rights activists.
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. Due to the nature of the survey's methodology based on individual perceptions, there are often wide contrasts in a country's ranking from year to year. The ranking also states it takes into account pressure on journalists by non-governmental groups, for example the Basque militant group ETA in Spain or the Mafia in Russia, or pressure groups that can pose a real threat to press freedom.
A higher number in the ranking means more restraints on freedom of the press.
Yearly worldwide press freedom ranking of countriespublished by Reporters Without Borders
RankCountryIndex
20052005200420032002
1 Finland0.500.500.500.50
1 Iceland0.500.500.500.50
1 Norway0.500.500.500.50
1 Netherlands0.500.500.500.50
1 Denmark0.500.501.003.00
1 Switzerland0.500.502.504.25
1 Ireland0.500.502.831.00
8 Slovakia0.750.502.50
9 Slovenia1.002.253.004.00
9 Czech Republic1.003.502.5011.25
11 Estonia1.502.002.50
12 New Zealand2.000.672.83
12 Trinidad and Tobago2.002.001.00
12 Sweden2.002.001.501.50
12 Hungary2.006.003.336.50
16 Latvia2.501.002.25
16 Austria2.503.252.757.50
18 Germany4.002.001.331.50
18 Belgium4.004.001.173.50
18 Greece4.007.006.005.00
21 Lithuania4.503.002.83
21 Canada4.503.331.830.75
23 Portugal4.834.505.171.50
24 United Kingdom5.176.004.256.00
25 Benin5.505.505.256.00
25 Namibia5.5010.0011.008.00
25 Cyprus (Republic of Cyprus)5.5022.0020.83
28 El Salvador5.756.006.838.75
29 Cape Verde6.008.758.2513.75
30 France6.253.504.173.25
31 South Africa6.505.003.337.50
31 Australia6.509.509.253.50
33 Bosnia and Herzegovina7.003.676.8312.50
34 Jamaica7.504.173.33
34 Mauritius7.5010.507.259.50
34 Republic of Korea7.5011.139.1710.50
37 Japan8.0010.008.007.50
37 Mali8.0012.8311.0012.50
39 Hong Kong8.257.5011.004.83
40 Spain8.339.007.677.75
41 Costa Rica8.507.633.834.25
42 Italy8.679.009.7511.00
43 Republic of Macedonia8.7511.259.67
44 United States (american territory)9.504.006.004.75
45 Bolivia9.6720.009.6714.50
46 Uruguay9.7510.004.006.00
47 Israel10.008.008.0030.00
48 Bulgaria10.258.006.509.75
49 Mozambique10.5016.2514.0023.50
50 Chile11.7510.006.836.50
Grenada 12.00
51 Dominican Republic12.256.7517.00
51 Republic of China (Taiwan)12.2514.2512.009.00
53 Poland12.506.836.177.75
53 Mongolia12.5019.0018.2524.50
53 Cyprus (TRNC)12.50
56 Croatia12.8311.8316.508.75
57 Niger13.0018.3315.7518.50
58 Timor-Leste13.5013.505.50
59 Argentina13.6721.3315.1712.00
60 Botswana14.0011.5013.00
60 Fiji14.0016.0011.50
62 Albania14.1711.506.50
63 Brazil14.5016.5016.7518.75
63 Tonga14.5038.17
65 Serbia14.8320.1321.3320.75
66 Ghana15.0013.508.7523.00
66 Panama15.0014.509.7515.50
68 Nicaragua15.2511.676.50
69 Paraguay15.5010.507.178.50
70 Romania16.1717.8311.5013.25
71 Republic of the Congo17.0017.5014.0023.17
71 Seychelles17.0023.5026.7520.75
71 Guinea-Bissau17.0023.5035.2530.25
74 Tanzania17.5014.5016.5021.25
74 Moldova17.5020.5027.00
76 Honduras18.0011.7514.17
76 Angola18.0026.5028.0030.17
78 Burkina Faso19.0016.2518.0027.75
78 Senegal19.0021.5014.5014.00
80 Uganda19.2524.0025.7517.00
81 Lesotho19.5029.5017.75
82 Central African Republic19.7532.5032.7521.50
83 Cameroon20.5027.0030.5028.83
83 Liberia20.5040.0040.0037.75
85 Kuwait21.2531.6731.3325.50
RankCountryIndex
20052005200420032002
86 Guatemala21.5016.5030.8327.25
87 Ecuador21.7516.507.675.50
88 Comoros22.0026.5018.5020.50
89 Malawi22.7531.0021.0027.67
90 Burkina Faso23.0019.0026.2524.50
90 Venezuela23.0024.6327.8325.00
90 Zambia23.0029.7523.2526.75
90 Qatar23.0032.5035.00
90 Cambodia23.0036.5019.5024.25
95 Togo23.7519.5027.5031.50
96 Jordan24.0039.1337.0033.50
97 Madagascar24.5018.508.1722.75
98 Turkey25.0037.2535.0033.50
99 Georgia25.1727.5017.33
100 United Arab Emirates25.7550.2537.00
100 Kosovo25.75
102 Armenia26.0023.5025.17
102 Guinea26.0024.5033.1726.00
102 Gabon26.0037.5031.2520.50
102 Indonesia26.0037.7534.2520.00
106 India27.0038.5039.0026.50
107 Thailand28.0014.0019.6722.75
108 Lebanon28.2524.3832.5019.67
109 Kenya30.0022.2518.5024.75
109 Chad30.0033.2524.0028.75
111 Kyrgyzstan32.0035.2532.0031.75
112 Ukraine32.5051.0040.0040.00
113 Tajikistan33.0027.7534.5028.25
113 Malaysia33.0039.8332.0037.83
115 Sri Lanka33.2536.5024.8315.75
116 Peru33.3340.0010.259.50
117 Haiti33.5042.1331.0036.50
118 Swaziland35.0031.0037.5029.00
119 Morocco36.1743.0039.6729.00
119 Kazakhstan36.1744.1742.5042.00
121 Djibouti37.0055.0035.5031.25
Israel (occupied territories) 37.5049.00
122 Rwanda38.0037.2534.2537.50
Brunei 38.00
123 Nigeria38.7537.7531.5015.50
123 Bahrain38.7552.5035.1723.00
125 Afghanistan39.1728.2540.1735.50
126 Sierra Leone39.5024.5023.5024.50
127 Mauritania40.0051.0036.6741.33
128 Colombia40.1747.3849.1740.83
129 Algeria40.3343.5033.0031.00
130 Gambia41.0029.5018.2522.50
131 Ethiopia42.0037.0037.5037.50
132 Palestine42.5043.1739.2527.00
133 Sudan44.0044.2545.7536.00
133 Equatorial Guinea44.0046.2544.7542.75
135 Mexico45.5027.8317.6724.75
136 Yemen46.2548.0041.8334.75
137 United States (in Iraq)48.5036.0041.00
138 Russia48.6751.3849.5048.00
139 Philippines50.0036.6335.2529.00
140 Singapore50.6757.0047.33
141 Azerbaijan51.0049.6734.5034.50
142 Bhutan51.5055.8377.3390.75
143 Egypt52.0043.5034.2534.50
144 Côte d'Ivoire52.2560.3842.1719.00
145 Syria55.0067.5067.5062.83
146 Democratic Republic of the Congo57.3351.5038.5040.75
147 Tunisia57.5062.6750.8367.75
Oman 57.75
148 Maldives58.5069.1747.50
149 Somalia59.0043.5045.00
150 Pakistan60.7561.7539.0044.67
151 Bangladesh61.2562.5046.5043.75
152 Belarus61.3354.1052.0052.17
153 Zimbabwe64.2567.5045.5048.25
154 Saudi Arabia66.0079.1771.5062.50
155 Uzbekistan66.5052.1361.5045.00
155 Laos66.5064.3394.8389.00
157 Iraq67.0058.5037.5079.00
158 Vietnam73.2586.8889.1781.25
159 People's Republic of China (Mainland only)83.0092.3391.2597.00
160 Nepal86.7584.0051.5063.00
161 Cuba87.00106.8397.8390.25
162 Libya88.7565.0060.0072.50
163 Myanmar88.83103.6395.5096.83
164 Iran89.1778.3089.3348.25
165 Turkmenistan93.5099.8382.8391.50
166 Eritrea99.7593.2591.5083.67
167 Democratic People's Republic of Korea109.00107.5099.5097.50