Reporters Without Borders: Restrictions on Press Freedom on the Rise Mexico News.Net
go to original February 12, 2015

Press freedom deteriorating worldwide (eNews Channel Africa)

Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index was released on Thursday showing a dramatic decline in press freedom around the world.

The highly respected index ranks the performance of 180 countries according to a range of criteria that include media pluralism and independence, respect for the safety and freedom of journalists, and the legislative, institutional and infrastructural environment in which the media operate.

Three Scandinavian countries: Finland, which has been in first place for five years in succession, followed by Norway and Denmark top the list, as has been the case for the past five years. At the other end of the scale, Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea, in last place, were the worst performers. France is ranked 38th (up one place), the United States 49th (down three places), Japan 61st (down two places), Brazil 99 (up 12 places), Russia 152 (down four places), Iran 173rd (unchanged) and China 176th (down one place).

Up four places from 2014, Mexico is ranked 148th and is the western hemisphere’s deadliest country for journalists.

The 2015 World Press Freedom Index highlights the worldwide deterioration in freedom of information 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 indicators compiled by Reporters Without Borders are incontestable. There was a drastic decline in freedom of information in 2014. Two-thirds of the 180 countries surveyed for the 2015 World Press Freedom Index performed less well than in the previous year. The annual global indicator, which measures the overall level of violations of freedom of information in 180 countries year by year, has risen to 3,719, an 8 percent increase over 2014 and almost 10 percent compared with 2013. The decline affected all continents.

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