Martin K

World Champion in Press Freedom

Wednesday, 21. October 2009, 06:31:55

Denmark is world champion in press freedom.

At least if you believe a new ranking from Reporters Without Borders.

The organization has assessed the degree of press freedom in 175 countries and puts Denmark top notch at a first place. However, we must share with Finland, Ireland, Norway and Sweden.

At the bottom of the list is Iran, where journalists, according to Reporters Without Borders under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are having harder and harder times. Iran scores nonetheless just above Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea where the media, according to the organization, are so oppressed that they really do not exist.

U.S. has jumped 20 places up the list to a 20th place, but America is still blamed for not treating journalists in Iraq and Afghanistan properly. Because of its strategy towards the media the the Gaza war, Israel has at turn lost its position as the country in the Middle East with most press freedom. Israel slids 47 places down the list to a 93rd-place and is surpassed by Kuwait, Lebanon and United Arab Emirates.

In France, press freedom has been seriously weakened by politicians in recent years, and both the Mafia and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is drawing development in the wrong direction in Italy, says Reporters Without Borders.

France is number 43, while Italy occupies a 49th-place. China is again far down the list being number 168, and is second by both Iraq and Afghanistan, respectively number 145 & 149

Victory DanceMillenium Forest

Comments

Allan # 21. October 2009, 13:54

Now, I just wish that the major part of the press starts using that precious freedom for other things than writing about the lives and whereabouts of celebrities and royalties.

Martin K # 21. October 2009, 16:00

My words, exactly, Ricewood. As long as the press keep off shaky grounds, they will of course get away with it, and this is the truth about the score. The Danish press model with semi-independent media is slowly dissappearing, and we are witnessing the collaps of journalism as we knew it. Press freedom is so-so, when the media have turned in to simple entertainment and lost every shred of power.

Phantom # 22. October 2009, 01:46

How much weight does this organization actually put on telling the truth as opposed to kissing up to the government that guarantees that freedom of the press they rank?

Stardancer # 22. October 2009, 03:46

I'm surprised the U.S. actually went up in the rankings. With everything that's going on over here, I would've thought it would've jumped off the cliff, so to speak.

Darko # 22. October 2009, 05:10

Most of the newspapers here depend on the government or are hardly against it (i.e. financed by opposition parties). In either way there is no objectivity and I can`t trust them. Independent journalism has disappeared long time ago....
Do they have Serbia on that list?

Martin K # 22. October 2009, 06:03

Serbia: 63.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_Freedom_Index

Darko # 22. October 2009, 07:45

Ha, it seems we are good then

Martin K # 22. October 2009, 07:54

Far better than Israel anyway, Darko. They must be extremely embarassed to be on the 93rd place, not better than the rest of the guys in the Middle East. Correction: Israel government never gets embarassed, it gets offended and angry.

Darko # 22. October 2009, 11:23