24 Oct 2006

Reporters without Borders: Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2006

"France, the United States and Japan slip further Mauritania and Haiti gain much ground

New countries have moved ahead of some Western democracies in the fifth annual Reporters Without Borders Worldwide Press Freedom Index, issued today, while the most repressive countries are still the same ones."

Finland, Iceland, Ireland and Netherland are the most Press Free countries. The UK at 27 and the US is at 53! The US will drop even more this year with their hysterical policies.

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

See the full list at Reporters sans frontières