Monthly Archives: February 2014

RSF began releasing their Press Freedom Index in 2002. RSF's secretary-general Christophe Deloire says the Index is based on "the level of abuses, the extent of pluralism, media independence, the environment and self-censorship, the legislative framework, transparency and infrastructure."

RSF sends out a questionnairre to "partner organizations (18 freedom of expression NGOs located in all five continents), to our network of 150 correspondents, and to journalists, researchers, jurists and human rights activists." Along with state-sanctioned press suppression, the RSF incorporates general Internet freedoms and pressure from independent (usually militant) groups on journalists into the final score of a country.

The more suppression of the press, the higher the score. RSF's complete methodology and formula can be read here.

America's 46 ranked spot is a 13-position drop from 2013. The U.S. dropped four points in the Reporters Without Borders 100-point ranking system over the last year to an all-time low of 22 points. RSF ranked the U.S. lower in 2006, 2007 and their combined 2011/2012 indexes, but there was a major change in the U.S. ranking system in 2013.

From 2003 to 2012, the RSF had separate rankings for press freedom in the domestic U.S. and press freedom for "extraterritorial" regions (Iraq and Afghanistan). They combined these two rankings in 2013 and 2014. From 2011/2012 to 2013, the combined U.S. ranking rose to 32, but its press freedom score dropped four points.

That means while the U.S. ranking improved, press freedom was actually tightened, both in the U.S. and worldwide, where lowering scores paved the way for the U.S. to move up in the rankings.

RSF primarily cites the NSA/Snowden scandal for the drop in the U.S.'s ranking and says "the hunt for leaks and whistleblowers serves as a warning to those thinking of satisfying a public-interest need for information about the imperial prerogatives assumed by the worlds leading power," largely contribute to the drop in rank. The UK dropped three ranks itself for it's pressure on the Guardian, Glenn Greenwald and David Miranda.

The graphs above and below indicate general volatility of the U.S.'s press freedoms. As the War on Terror escalates through 2007, so does the U.S.'s score. A brief rising of freedoms comes with the election of President Barack Obama, who was predicted to curb some of the Bush administration's hard-line policies, but as the years passed it became clear that the press faced increasing difficulty. The sharp fall from 20 in 2010 to 47 in 2011/12 is a direct result of the arrests of journalists covering the Occupy movements.

Overall, the Press Freedom Index's annual global indicator measured a 1.8 percent rise in global violations of freedom of information, from 3,395 to 3,456 points. RSF reports that "alarmed by the Arab Spring turmoil, authoritarian regimes in the Arabian Peninsula and Central Asia have stepped up media censorship and surveillance to head off any 'attempt at destabilization.'"

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Dissecting America's Low Press Freedom Ranking And The Situation Abroad

The 2014 World Press Freedom Index spotlights major decline in media freedom in the United States. The US has been listed along with countries such as Central African Republic and Guatemala in the Index, which was published on Wednesday by Reporters Without Borders (RWB).

The United States has gone 13 positions down to 46th in this year's index, which covers 180 countries.

RWB head of research Lucie Morillon said: "This year, the ranking of some countries, including democracies, has been impacted by an overly broad and abusive interpretation of the concept of national security protection."

Several factors, including armed conflicts, political instability and national security, restrict media freedom in many countries, according to the Index.

In countries where the rule of law prevails, security arguments are misused as grounds for restricting freedom of information. "Invoked too readily, the protection of national security is encroaching on hard-won democratic rights," the France-based non-profit organization noted, referring to the recent developments in the U.S.

"The trial and conviction of Private [Chelsea] Manning and the pursuit of the National Security Agency analyst Edward Snowden were warnings to all those thinking of assisting in the disclosure of sensitive information that would clearly be in the public interest," RWB says.

Both American and British authorities "seem obsessed with hunting down whistleblowers instead of adopting legislation to rein in abusive surveillance practices that negate privacy, a democratic value cherished in both countries."

The United Kingdom is ranked 33rd, three places down, distinguishing itself by its harassment of The Guardian.

In August last year, US Army Private Manning was sentenced to 35 years in jail for handing classified US government documents to the Wikileaks website.

American authorities charged US whistle-blower Edward Snowden with espionage and theft of government property after he stunned the world last year by leaking details of several secret mass electronic surveillance programs run by the United States.

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Reporters Without Borders Spotlights Major Decline In Media Freedom In US