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
Rank Country Index
2005 2005 2004 2003 2002
1 Finland 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50
1 Iceland 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50
1 Norway 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50
1 Netherlands 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50
1 Denmark 0.50 0.50 1.00 3.00
1 Switzerland 0.50 0.50 2.50 4.25
1 Ireland 0.50 0.50 2.83 1.00
8 Slovakia 0.75 0.50 2.50
9 Slovenia 1.00 2.25 3.00 4.00
9 Czech Republic 1.00 3.50 2.50 11.25
11 Estonia 1.50 2.00 2.50
12 New Zealand 2.00 0.67 2.83
12 Trinidad and Tobago 2.00 2.00 1.00
12 Sweden 2.00 2.00 1.50 1.50
12 Hungary 2.00 6.00 3.33 6.50
16 Latvia 2.50 1.00 2.25
16 Austria 2.50 3.25 2.75 7.50
18 Germany 4.00 2.00 1.33 1.50
18 Belgium 4.00 4.00 1.17 3.50
18 Greece 4.00 7.00 6.00 5.00
21 Lithuania 4.50 3.00 2.83
21 Canada 4.50 3.33 1.83 0.75
23 Portugal 4.83 4.50 5.17 1.50
24 United Kingdom 5.17 6.00 4.25 6.00
25 Benin 5.50 5.50 5.25 6.00
25 Namibia 5.50 10.00 11.00 8.00
25 Cyprus (Republic of Cyprus) 5.50 22.00 20.83
28 El Salvador 5.75 6.00 6.83 8.75
29 Cape Verde 6.00 8.75 8.25 13.75
30 France 6.25 3.50 4.17 3.25
31 South Africa 6.50 5.00 3.33 7.50
31 Australia 6.50 9.50 9.25 3.50
33 Bosnia and Herzegovina 7.00 3.67 6.83 12.50
34 Jamaica 7.50 4.17 3.33
34 Mauritius 7.50 10.50 7.25 9.50
34 Republic of Korea 7.50 11.13 9.17 10.50
37 Japan 8.00 10.00 8.00 7.50
37 Mali 8.00 12.83 11.00 12.50
39 Hong Kong 8.25 7.50 11.00 4.83
40 Spain 8.33 9.00 7.67 7.75
41 Costa Rica 8.50 7.63 3.83 4.25
42 Italy 8.67 9.00 9.75 11.00
43 Republic of Macedonia 8.75 11.25 9.67
44 United States (american territory) 9.50 4.00 6.00 4.75
45 Bolivia 9.67 20.00 9.67 14.50
46 Uruguay 9.75 10.00 4.00 6.00
47 Israel 10.00 8.00 8.00 30.00
48 Bulgaria 10.25 8.00 6.50 9.75
49 Mozambique 10.50 16.25 14.00 23.50
50 Chile 11.75 10.00 6.83 6.50
Grenada 12.00
51 Dominican Republic 12.25 6.75 17.00
51 Republic of China (Taiwan) 12.25 14.25 12.00 9.00
53 Poland 12.50 6.83 6.17 7.75
53 Mongolia 12.50 19.00 18.25 24.50
53 Cyprus (TRNC) 12.50
56 Croatia 12.83 11.83 16.50 8.75
57 Niger 13.00 18.33 15.75 18.50
58 Timor-Leste 13.50 13.50 5.50
59 Argentina 13.67 21.33 15.17 12.00
60 Botswana 14.00 11.50 13.00
60 Fiji 14.00 16.00 11.50
62 Albania 14.17 11.50 6.50
63 Brazil 14.50 16.50 16.75 18.75
63 Tonga 14.50 38.17
65 Serbia 14.83 20.13 21.33 20.75
66 Ghana 15.00 13.50 8.75 23.00
66 Panama 15.00 14.50 9.75 15.50
68 Nicaragua 15.25 11.67 6.50
69 Paraguay 15.50 10.50 7.17 8.50
70 Romania 16.17 17.83 11.50 13.25
71 Republic of the Congo 17.00 17.50 14.00 23.17
71 Seychelles 17.00 23.50 26.75 20.75
71 Guinea-Bissau 17.00 23.50 35.25 30.25
74 Tanzania 17.50 14.50 16.50 21.25
74 Moldova 17.50 20.50 27.00
76 Honduras 18.00 11.75 14.17
76 Angola 18.00 26.50 28.00 30.17
78 Burkina Faso 19.00 16.25 18.00 27.75
78 Senegal 19.00 21.50 14.50 14.00
80 Uganda 19.25 24.00 25.75 17.00
81 Lesotho 19.50 29.50 17.75
82 Central African Republic 19.75 32.50 32.75 21.50
83 Cameroon 20.50 27.00 30.50 28.83
83 Liberia 20.50 40.00 40.00 37.75
85 Kuwait 21.25 31.67 31.33 25.50
Rank Country Index
2005 2005 2004 2003 2002
86 Guatemala 21.50 16.50 30.83 27.25
87 Ecuador 21.75 16.50 7.67 5.50
88 Comoros 22.00 26.50 18.50 20.50
89 Malawi 22.75 31.00 21.00 27.67
90 Burkina Faso 23.00 19.00 26.25 24.50
90 Venezuela 23.00 24.63 27.83 25.00
90 Zambia 23.00 29.75 23.25 26.75
90 Qatar 23.00 32.50 35.00
90 Cambodia 23.00 36.50 19.50 24.25
95 Togo 23.75 19.50 27.50 31.50
96 Jordan 24.00 39.13 37.00 33.50
97 Madagascar 24.50 18.50 8.17 22.75
98 Turkey 25.00 37.25 35.00 33.50
99 Georgia 25.17 27.50 17.33
100 United Arab Emirates 25.75 50.25 37.00
100 Kosovo 25.75
102 Armenia 26.00 23.50 25.17
102 Guinea 26.00 24.50 33.17 26.00
102 Gabon 26.00 37.50 31.25 20.50
102 Indonesia 26.00 37.75 34.25 20.00
106 India 27.00 38.50 39.00 26.50
107 Thailand 28.00 14.00 19.67 22.75
108 Lebanon 28.25 24.38 32.50 19.67
109 Kenya 30.00 22.25 18.50 24.75
109 Chad 30.00 33.25 24.00 28.75
111 Kyrgyzstan 32.00 35.25 32.00 31.75
112 Ukraine 32.50 51.00 40.00 40.00
113 Tajikistan 33.00 27.75 34.50 28.25
113 Malaysia 33.00 39.83 32.00 37.83
115 Sri Lanka 33.25 36.50 24.83 15.75
116 Peru 33.33 40.00 10.25 9.50
117 Haiti 33.50 42.13 31.00 36.50
118 Swaziland 35.00 31.00 37.50 29.00
119 Morocco 36.17 43.00 39.67 29.00
119 Kazakhstan 36.17 44.17 42.50 42.00
121 Djibouti 37.00 55.00 35.50 31.25
Israel (occupied territories) 37.50 49.00
122 Rwanda 38.00 37.25 34.25 37.50
Brunei 38.00
123 Nigeria 38.75 37.75 31.50 15.50
123 Bahrain 38.75 52.50 35.17 23.00
125 Afghanistan 39.17 28.25 40.17 35.50
126 Sierra Leone 39.50 24.50 23.50 24.50
127 Mauritania 40.00 51.00 36.67 41.33
128 Colombia 40.17 47.38 49.17 40.83
129 Algeria 40.33 43.50 33.00 31.00
130 Gambia 41.00 29.50 18.25 22.50
131 Ethiopia 42.00 37.00 37.50 37.50
132 Palestine 42.50 43.17 39.25 27.00
133 Sudan 44.00 44.25 45.75 36.00
133 Equatorial Guinea 44.00 46.25 44.75 42.75
135 Mexico 45.50 27.83 17.67 24.75
136 Yemen 46.25 48.00 41.83 34.75
137 United States (in Iraq) 48.50 36.00 41.00
138 Russia 48.67 51.38 49.50 48.00
139 Philippines 50.00 36.63 35.25 29.00
140 Singapore 50.67 57.00 47.33
141 Azerbaijan 51.00 49.67 34.50 34.50
142 Bhutan 51.50 55.83 77.33 90.75
143 Egypt 52.00 43.50 34.25 34.50
144 Côte d'Ivoire 52.25 60.38 42.17 19.00
145 Syria 55.00 67.50 67.50 62.83
146 Democratic Republic of the Congo 57.33 51.50 38.50 40.75
147 Tunisia 57.50 62.67 50.83 67.75
Oman 57.75
148 Maldives 58.50 69.17 47.50
149 Somalia 59.00 43.50 45.00
150 Pakistan 60.75 61.75 39.00 44.67
151 Bangladesh 61.25 62.50 46.50 43.75
152 Belarus 61.33 54.10 52.00 52.17
153 Zimbabwe 64.25 67.50 45.50 48.25
154 Saudi Arabia 66.00 79.17 71.50 62.50
155 Uzbekistan 66.50 52.13 61.50 45.00
155 Laos 66.50 64.33 94.83 89.00
157 Iraq 67.00 58.50 37.50 79.00
158 Vietnam 73.25 86.88 89.17 81.25
159 People's Republic of China (Mainland only) 83.00 92.33 91.25 97.00
160 Nepal 86.75 84.00 51.50 63.00
161 Cuba 87.00 106.83 97.83 90.25
162 Libya 88.75 65.00 60.00 72.50
163 Myanmar 88.83 103.63 95.50 96.83
164 Iran 89.17 78.30 89.33 48.25
165 Turkmenistan 93.50 99.83 82.83 91.50
166 Eritrea 99.75 93.25 91.50 83.67
167 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 109.00 107.50 99.50 97.50