Freedom Of Press Witnesses 'Drastic Decline' Globally Amid Emerging Threats To Journalists

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An increase in violent incidents directly targeting journalists in several nations around the world resulted in a drastic decline of freedom of the press in 2014, according to the latest edition of the World Press Freedom Index, released Thursday by Reporters Without Borders.

The Press Freedom Index, published annually, ranks countries on several criteria, including media independence, legislative framework and the level of censorship prevailing in the country, and the infrastructure environment in which the media operate.Syria -- ranked 177 out of 180 nations -- where several journalists have been executed by the Islamic State group in recent months, was ranked as the worlds deadliest country for journalists in 2014.

Beset by wars, the growing threat from non-state operatives, violence during demonstrations and the economic crisis, media freedom is in retreat on all five continents, the international watchdog group said, in astatementaccompanying the report. Two-thirds of the 180 countries surveyed for the 2015 World Press Freedom Index performed less well than in the previous year.

The best-rated nations were northern European states such as Finland, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden, while Syria, Turkmenistan, North Korea and the East African nation of Eritrea were the worst performers.

The report alleged that while censorious regimes in Syria, Russia and Egypt were partly responsible for the global decline, non-state entities such as ISIS in Syria, Boko Haram in Nigeria and Al-Shabaab in Somalia constituted the main source of physical danger for journalists.

North Africa and the Middle East, this year once again contained information black holes. Comprising entire regions, these are controlled by non-state groups in which independent information simply does not exist, the report said.

Journalists in Syria were also in danger of being arbitrarily detained and tortured by forces loyal to President Bashar Assad, the report said, while Reporters Without Borders named Assad in its Predators of Press Freedom list.

Strict anti-blasphemy laws were also found to be a danger to freedom of expression in almost half of the worlds countries. When believers think the courts are not doing enough to ensure respect for God or the Prophet, they sometimes take it upon themselves to remind journalists and bloggers what they may or may not say, the report said.

Press freedom also continued to decline in the U.S., which was ranked 49 -- three spots lower than in the previous report -- as a result of the governments war on information on groups such as Wikileaks.

U.S. journalists are still not protected by a federal shield law that would guarantee their right not to name their sources or reveal other confidential information about their work, the organization said, in the statement, adding that arbitrary arrests during the Ferguson protests last year had also contributed to the decline of press freedom in the country.

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Freedom Of Press Witnesses 'Drastic Decline' Globally Amid Emerging Threats To Journalists

In Mideast and Europe, a bad year for press freedom, watchdog finds (+video)

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Last year's gruesome beheadings of Western journalists by the self-described Islamic State were among the most visceral attacks on the press in decades, making 2014 a year most reporters would soon forget and not only those on the ground in Syria and Iraq. It was a year, said Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Paris-based media watchdog, in which freedom of information suffered a "dramatic decline" across the world. Of the 180 countries surveyed for its just-released annual World Press Freedom Index, two thirds performed worse than in 2013, RSF said Thursday.

Government censorship was partly to blame for the downturn, RSF said. But it also pointed to the growing threat posed by non-state actors such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State, who follow no laws and disregard basic rights in pursuit of their own ends.

Motives may vary but theirmodus operandiis the same the use of fear and reprisals to silence journalists and bloggers who dare to investigate them or refuse to act as their mouthpieces, RSF said in a press release that accompanied the index.

Widespread turmoil in the Middle East from the spread of Islamic extremism to the civil war in Libya solidified its reputation as the most dangerous place for journalists. But Western Europe, while top-ranked, lost the most ground as a region.

Europe has been drifting downwards in the press freedom index for years. RSF says government interference in the media, which remains the status quo in many countries across the continent, presents one of the biggest obstacles to journalists.

Whats more is that the European Union appears to be under pressure from some member states to compromise on freedom of information, RSF reports. From Denmark to Hungary, journalists risk persecution for exposing government corruption and publishing critical views of ruling officials.

In Italy, an increase of violence against journalists has revived concerns about the mafia and contributed to the countrys 24-place drop to 73rd.

RSF said the United States fell three places to 49th amid a war on information by the Obama administration, namely its crackdown on national security leaks. It also attributed the country's fall to the detention of several journalists who were arbitrarily arrested during their coverage ofthe protests in Ferguson, Mo., following the death of Michael Brown.

Meanwhile, Russia slipped two slots to 152nd place amid draconian laws, a squeeze on independent media, and the Kremlins extensive propaganda campaign against Kiev and the West over the crisis in Ukraine.

The indexs publication coincided with a glimmer of good news in the journalism world: the release of two remaining Al Jazeera journalists jailed in Egypt on charges of aiding a "terrorist organization. They were freed on bail Thursday after spending more than 400 days in prison, but the court said the case against them was still pending.

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In Mideast and Europe, a bad year for press freedom, watchdog finds (+video)

The 15 Least Free Countries In The World

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Freedom House released its annualFreedom in the World report this week, rating each of the world's nations according to the political rights and civil liberties of their people.

The report found that overall freedom in the world dropped for the ninth consecutive year, with nearly twice as many countries suffering declines in freedom as registering gains.

The number of countries whose freedom improved is at its lowest point in nine years.

The report found a growing disdain for democracy in nearly all regions of the world, with losses in personal freedom often coming in the form of increased state surveillance and restrictions on internet communications.

Of the 195 countries assessed,26% were rated "Not Free,"with ratings for the Middle East and North Africa among the worst of the world's regions.

Provided by Business Insider Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka heads an authoritarian regime notorious for crushing any and all forms of political dissent.

Term limits don't exist and key opposition figures are often prevented from running for office, according to Freedom House. As a result, opposition parties have no representation in the Belarusian National Assembly.

Belarusian national television is controlled by the government and dissenting views are not presented. As more and more Belarusians gain access to the internet, the government is trying to expand its control to the web. Social networking sites are blocked, and online opposition activists are regularly harassed and threatened.

Provided by Business Insider The political process in anarchic Somalia is largely driven by clan loyalty, according to Freedom House.

While Somalia's current parliament is highly regarded by the international community, Somali citizens exercise little power over the system and have limited, if any, access to their representatives.

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The 15 Least Free Countries In The World

In Mideast and Europe, a bad year for press freedom, watchdog finds

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Last year's gruesome beheadings of Western journalists by the self-described Islamic State were among the most visceral attacks on the press in decades, making 2014 a year most reporters would soon forget and not only those on the ground in Syria and Iraq. It was a year, said Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Paris-based media watchdog, in which freedom of information suffered a "dramatic decline" across the world. Of the 180 countries surveyed for its just-released annual World Press Freedom Index, two thirds performed worse than in 2013, RSF said Thursday.

Government censorship was partly to blame for the downturn, RSF said. But it also pointed to the growing threat posed by non-state actors such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State, who follow no laws and disregard basic rights in pursuit of their own ends.

Motives may vary but theirmodus operandiis the same the use of fear and reprisals to silence journalists and bloggers who dare to investigate them or refuse to act as their mouthpieces, RSF said in a press release that accompanied the index.

Widespread turmoil in the Middle East from the spread of Islamic extremism to the civil war in Libya solidified its reputation as the most dangerous place for journalists. But Western Europe, while top-ranked, lost the most ground as a region.

Europe has been drifting downwards in the press freedom index for years. RSF says government interference in the media, which remains the status quo in many countries across the continent, presents one of the biggest obstacles to journalists.

Whats more is that the European Union appears to be under pressure from some member states to compromise on freedom of information, RSF reports. From Denmark to Hungary, journalists risk persecution for exposing government corruption and publishing critical views of ruling officials.

In Italy, an increase of violence against journalists has revived concerns about the mafia and contributed to the countrys 24-place drop to 73rd.

RSF said the United States fell three places to 49th amid a war on information by the Obama administration, namely its crackdown on national security leaks. It also attributed the country's fall to the detention of several journalists who were arbitrarily arrested during their coverage ofthe protests in Ferguson, Mo., following the death of Michael Brown.

Meanwhile, Russia slipped two slots to 152nd place amid draconian laws, a squeeze on independent media, and the Kremlins extensive propaganda campaign against Kiev and the West over the crisis in Ukraine.

The indexs publication coincided with a glimmer of good news in the journalism world: the release of two remaining Al Jazeera journalists jailed in Egypt on charges of aiding a "terrorist organization. They were freed on bail Thursday after spending more than 400 days in prison, but the court said the case against them was still pending.

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In Mideast and Europe, a bad year for press freedom, watchdog finds

'Drastic decline' in int'l media freedom

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By Marc Burleigh ,AFP February13,2015,12:00amTWN

There has been an overall deterioration linked to very different factors, with information wars, and action by non-state groups acting like news despots, the head of the Paris-based group, Christophe Deloire, told AFP.

The Reporters Without Borders 2015 World Press Freedom Index stated that there was an eight percent increase in the violations of freedom of information in 180 countries in 2014 compared to the 2013, according to its statistically weighted calculation.

All parties in conflicts raging in the Middle East and Ukraine were waging a fearsome information war in which media personnel were directly targeted to be killed, captured or pressured to relay propaganda, it said.

The Islamic State group active in Syria and Iraq, Boko Haram in northern Nigeria and Cameroon, and criminal organizations in Italy and Latin America all used fear and reprisals to silence journalists and bloggers who dare to investigate or refuse to act as their mouthpieces, said the watchdog, known by its French initials RSF.

North Africa and the Middle East contained notable black holes in which entire regions are controlled by non-state groups in which independent information simply does not exist, the group said.

The criminalization of blasphemy endangers freedom of information in around half of the world's countries, the report said, noting that religious extremists sometimes also go after journalists or bloggers they believe do not sufficiently respect their god or prophet.

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'Drastic decline' in int'l media freedom

Marketo Adds Zerys to Their LaunchPoint Eco-System

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Chardon, OH (PRWEB) February 12, 2015

Marketo recently added Zerys for Agencies to their LaunchPoint eco-system. Marketos LaunchPoint is a collection of powerful 3rd party applications and services designed to help Marketo users achieve even more marketing results.

Zerys is a comprehensive content strategy planner, content production platform, and professional writer marketplace all rolled into one. Zerys for Agencies is the only white labeled, fully scalable content creation and marketing platform designed specifically for agencies. They offer a comprehensive suite of content planning and production tools as well as access to a writer marketplace with over 40,000 professional writers, bloggers, journalists, and editors.

Steve Lazuka, President of Interact Media, the parent company of Zerys, stated, Were excited that Marketo has chosen to add Zerys to their popular Launchpoint program. Its an honor to be included in such an impressive list of cutting-edge marketing automation applications.

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Marketo Adds Zerys to Their LaunchPoint Eco-System

Northern NSW beaches remain closed

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Beaches in northern NSW remain closed after a Japanese surfer had his legs bitten off in a fatal shark attack on Monday.

Ballina beaches have been closed since the attack but recent shark sightings have prompted lifeguards to keep swimmers out of the water.

A four-metre shark and a three-metre shark were spotted in waters near Ballina late on Wednesday afternoon.

Surf Life Saving NSW said on Thursday Ballina beaches remained closed until further notice as a precaution.

Tadashi Nakahara, 41, was bitten by a 3-4 metre great white shark while surfing at Shelly Beach on Monday morning.

Rescuers took Mr Nakahara to shore and performed CPR but he died on the beach.

It's the fourth fatal shark attack in Australia in five months.

Experts have said warm water and runoff from rainfall are attracting small fish to the area which, in turn, attract sharks.

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Northern NSW beaches remain closed