[hr-media] East Asia and Middle East have worst press freedom records

26 October 2004 - Reporters Without Borders announces its third annual
worldwide index of press freedom. Such freedom is threatened most in East
Asia (with North Korea at the bottom of the entire list at 167th place,
followed by Burma 165th, China 162nd, Vietnam 161st and Laos 153rd) and
the Middle East (Saudi Arabia 159th, Iran 158th, Syria 155th, Iraq 148th).

In these countries, an independent media either does not exist or
journalists are persecuted and censored on a daily basis. Freedom of
information and the safety of journalists are not guaranteed there.
Continuing war has made Iraq the most deadly place on earth for
journalists in recent years, with 44 killed there since fighting began in
March last year.

But there are plenty of other black spots around the world for press
freedom. Cuba (in 166th place) is second only to China as the biggest
prison for journalists, with 26 in jail (China has 27). Since spring last
year, these 26 independent journalists have languished in prison after
being given sentences of between 14 and 27 years.

No privately-owned media exist in Turkmenistan (164th) and Eritrea
(163rd), whose people can only read, see or listen to
government-controlled media dominated by official propaganda.

The greatest press freedom is found in northern Europe (Denmark, Finland,
Ireland, Iceland, the Netherlands and Norway), which is a haven of peace
for journalists. Of the top 20 countries, only three (New Zealand 9th,
Trinidad and Tobago 11th and Canada 18th) are outside Europe.

Other small and often impoverished democracies appear high on the list,
such as El Salvador (28th) and Costa Rica (35th) in Central America, along
with Cape Verde (38th) and Namibia (42nd) in Africa and Timor-Leste (57th)
in Asia.

Reporters Without Borders compiled the index by asking its partner
organisations (14 freedom of expression organisations in five continents),
its 130 correspondents around the world, as well as journalists,
researchers, jurists and human rights activists, to answer 52 questions to
indicate the state of press freedom in 167 countries (others were not
included for lack of information).

Full report can be found at: http://www.rsf.org/