PressEthic

According to this Tuesday’s Washington Post, the United States is deteriorating in the Worldwide Press Freedom Index, put out each year by Reporters without Borders. The United States slipped from last year’s 44th place to 53rd. The rankings are based on a set of 50 questions, pertaining to press freedom, that are asked of media representatives, researchers, human rights activists and other individuals in each country.

Countries where the freedom of the press is notoriously limited, including North Korea, Cuba, Burma and China, did not advance in the rankings. The worst ranking of 168 belongs to North Korea.

Finland, Ireland, Iceland and the Netherlands earned a collective first place status, while Denmark slipped to 19th place after its controversial Muhammad cartoon incident that evoked anger and threats from the public. Ghana (34th) and Panama (39th) both climbed rapidly in their ranks, with Ghana rising 32 places and Panama 27 places. The most highly ranked less-developed country was Bolivia, on 16th place. Reporters without Borders explained the United States’ ranking with the following statement, also quoted in the Washington Post:

“The United States (53rd) has fallen nine places since last year, after being in 17th position in the first year of the Index, in 2002. Relations between the media and the Bush administration sharply deteriorated after the president used the pretext of “national security” to regard as suspicious any journalist who questioned his “war on terrorism.”

Vague? Perhaps. What remains alarming, however, that arguably the most powerful nation in the world could have a higher likelihood of journalists being censored, imprisoned, or monitored than 52 other nations (most of the 50 questions pertain to censorship, violence, threats and other restrictions faced by journalists). Furthermore, if the United’ States answers to these questions shows a declining trend compared to other countries, our nation appears to be making mistakes that other parts of the world are not.

The statement continues as follows:

“The zeal of federal courts which, unlike those in 33 US states, refuse to recognise the media’s right not to reveal its sources, even threatens journalists whose investigations have no connection at all with terrorism.

Freelance journalist and blogger Josh Wolf was imprisoned when he refused to hand over his video archives. Sudanese cameraman Sami al-Haj, who works for the pan-Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera, has been held without trial since June 2002 at the US military base at Guantanamo, and Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein has been held by US authorities in Iraq since April this year.”

questionnaire

Reporters without Borders report

Washington Post Article