The Daily Blues

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