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World Press Freedom Index Plunges – USA Now Ranked #49 Globally
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. 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.
But as Liberty Blitzkrieg's Mike Krieger notes, the bastion of press freedom in the land of the free, fell once again... to 49th!!
In the United States, 2014 was marked by judicial harassment of New York Times investigative reporter James Risen in connection with the trial of Jeffrey Sterling, a former CIA officer charged under the Espionage Act with giving him classified information. US 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. Meanwhile, at least 15 journalists were arbitrarily arrested during clashes between police and demonstrators protesting against black teenager Michael Brown’s fatal shooting by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.
– From Reporters Without Borders’ 2015 World Press Freedom Index
The greatest myth we Americans collectively like to tell to ourselves is that we live in the “land of the free.” We particularly pride ourselves on “freedom of the press” — enshrined in the U.S. Constitution — but how free is this press really?
According to the World Press Freedom Index, published each year by Reporters Without Borders, not that free at all. I highlighted last year’s plunge in the index in the post: U.S. Plunges to #46 in World Press Freedom Index, Below Romania and Just Above Haiti. Here’s an excerpt:
As you might expect, the economic decline of a nation into rule by a handful of corrupt oligarchs will have many other negative repercussions. One of these is a loss of civil rights and freedoms that many of us have taken for granted. Reporters Without Borders puts out their Press Freedom Index every year, and the 2014 ranking came out today. It was not a good showing for the USSA. Specifically, the U.S. registered one of the steepest falls of all nations, down 13 slots to the #46 position. As the screen shot shows, just above Haiti and just below Romania.
Well the decline continued in 2014. Dropping three spots, the U.S. now comes in just below Burkina Faso, Niger and Malta to #49. The AP notes that:
The U.S. fell three places to 49th amid a “war on information” by the Obama administration in some cases. Reporters also faced difficulty covering events like demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri, where a black teenager was shot dead in August by a white police officer, Morillon said.
It’s not just the U.S. either. There is a global trend away from press freedom, which makes perfect sense given that world wealth is basically being consolidated by a handful of oligarchs who don’t want the rabble to have access to anything but their various forms of propaganda. For example:
War, the rise of non-state groups, crackdowns on demonstrations and economic crises provided a backdrop for a tough 2014. The Paris-based media watchdog said two-thirds of the 180 countries surveyed in its annual World Press Freedom index scored worse than a year earlier.
Western Europe, while top-ranked, lost the most ground as a region. Three Nordic countries headed the list, but there was slippage in Italy — where mafia and other threats weighed on journalists — and Iceland, where the relationship between the media and politicians soured, the group said.
Here’s the list of countries that ranked ahead of the U.S.
| Rank | Country | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finland | |||||
| 2 | Norway | |||||
| 3 | Denmark | |||||
| 4 | Netherlands | |||||
| 5 | Sweden | |||||
| 6 | New Zealand | |||||
| 7 | Austria | |||||
| 8 | Canada | |||||
| 9 | Jamaica | |||||
| 10 | Estonia | |||||
| 11 | Ireland | |||||
| 12 | Germany | |||||
| 13 | Czech Republic | |||||
| 14 | Slovakia | |||||
| 15 | Belgium | |||||
| 16 | Costa Rica | |||||
| 17 | Namibia | |||||
| 18 | Poland | |||||
| 19 | Luxembourg | |||||
| 20 | Switzerland | |||||
| 21 | Iceland | |||||
| 22 | Ghana | |||||
| 23 | Uruguay | |||||
| 24 | Cyprus | |||||
| 25 | Australia | |||||
| 26 | Portugal | |||||
| 27 | Liechtenstein | |||||
| 28 | Latvia | |||||
| 29 | Suriname | |||||
| 30 | Belize | |||||
| 31 | Lithuania | |||||
| 32 | Andorra | |||||
| 33 | Spain | |||||
| 34 | United Kingdom | |||||
| 35 | Slovenia | |||||
| 36 | Cape Verde | |||||
| 37 | Eastern Caribbean | |||||
| 38 | France | |||||
| 39 | South Africa | |||||
| 40 | Samoa | |||||
| 41 | Trinidad and Tobago | |||||
| 42 | Botswana | |||||
| 43 | Chile | |||||
| 44 | Tonga | |||||
| 45 | El Salvador | |||||
| 46 | Burkina Faso | |||||
| 47 | Niger | |||||
| 48 | Malta | |||||
| 49 | United States |
When it comes to these United States, it’s not just press freedom that has been plunging. Economic freedom has been also spiraling down the toilet bowl ever since the year 2000. Recall the post from last fall, New Report – The United States’ Sharp Drop in Economic Freedom Since 2000 Driven by “Decline in Rule of Law”. Here’s an excerpt:
Expanded use of regulation has also been an important contributing factor to the declining ratings of the United States. During the past decade, non-tariff trade barriers, restrictions on foreign investment, and business regulation have all grown extensively. The expanded use of regulation in the United States has resulted in sharp rating reductions for components such as independence of the judiciary, impartiality of the courts, and regulatory favoritism. To a large degree, the United States has experienced a significant move away from rule of law and toward a highly regulated, politicized, and heavily policed state.
Land of the free?
* * *
For related articles, see:
Oligarch Justice – Powerful Pedophiles Roam Free as Journalist Barrett Brown Returns to Jail
U.S. Plunges to #46 in World Press Freedom Index, Below Romania and Just Above Haiti
The Obama Administration Plans to Embed “Government Researchers” to Monitor Media Organizations
American Upper Middle Class Share of Wealth is Worse than Every Country Besides Russia and Indonesia
»
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Slavery is Freedom
Free Brian Williams!
Just wait until net neutrality kicks in. Then we will drop to 100th place and have no way of finding that out!
Wow... Namibia kicked our ass.
Like they are going to tell you the truth in Amerika.
Did they poll Michael Hastings or Gary Webb??
pods
Because we all know zionist countries = free
And countries that oppose = regimes with no fredom or press
They should change the description from press freedom to most unopposed zionist controlled media
Canada is 40 slots higher than the US. That is a joke.
Canada does not have free speach. Just try to publish something about Islam that isn't even critical, just balanced, and you'll find yourself in jail. That is just one example, this ranking is a joke.
Don't get me wrong, the US is rapidly going down the tolitarian path, but we're following the rest of the world on that one, not leading.
I agree. It pretty much sums up this report as bullshit
Well there is some good news up north. Harpo should be getting the boot this fall. People are fleeing his party like rats leaving a sinking ship. I'm sure the internal party polls are not looking good.
Fuck you Steve.
"Well there is some good news up north. Harpo should be getting the boot this fall."
What then? A jack booted socialist thug from the New Democratic Party or a carbon taxing socialist thug from the Green Party? Or maybe a French soicalist separatist thug from Bloc Québécois?
Canada = progressive socialist hell.
The Canadian press is completely free, as long as you have the right opinions.
The report is a joke.
Total bullshit zaphod. I live in Canada and I'm a lot more free than Americans. Yes there are reasonable limits on free speech, but American assholes are totally leading the path to fascism. Now go and incarcerate some folks for not filling out their insurance forms correctly.
There are no "reasonable" limits on free speech. You either have free speech or you don't.
...try telling that to a copyright lawyer.
Good to see that Russia and China, the two 'golden' posterchildren of ZeroHedge, are also scoring so high!
The only thing that the US needs to do is 'buy moar gold' and then they'll quickly be on par with the rest of the totalitarian-1984-world.
It's funny to see you fight for American freedumb.
If Obama gets his "net neutrality" you can kiss Zero Hedge goodbye.
Net Neurterality.
Some real irony here in this age of information.
Free Jon Corzine!!!
I hear Ghana is nice this time of year.
Alberta.....not so much
It’s amazing to see who is ahead of us in those rankings. Former soviet countries and former Nazi Germany?!?! What a difference a few decades make. There is hope for America, hopefully we won’t have to go through tyranny like those places did. We are getting closer and closer to that every day. We all should continue to educate people, so when this system does collapse, we are ready to embrace freedom! Do not rely on the government when SHTF. Prepare now!
Buy guns, ammo, food, water, water filters, emergency supplies, lighters, batteries, flashlights, knives, candles, and silver. Knock out the last 2 at once with silver coins in candles: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ScentSavers?ref=hdr_shop_menu
Help prepare your loved ones for what is on the horizon!
INGSOC forever!
We got our ass kicked by countries that don't even write yet.
LOL, now that is funny. I don't care who ya are.
And by entities that don't even have a name, just an acronym.
Finland sure is greedy! They should be killing millions of tan and brown people to spread freedom to some motherfuckers, but they just live peacefully and keep that shit all to themselves. Bastards!
We censored some folks....
Freedom Index = The Fredom to get finger fucked by our dear leaders.
i'm thinking new zealand is looking pretty good about right now. i don't want to live in the land of tyrants anymore.
New Zealand is being flooded with progressives. Once the population is sufficiently progressive count on that nation becoming a tyranny too.
One of the small saving graces of New Zealand is that they have already been through the phase of the top-down, state-run economy. It didn't work out then, and is a recent enough memory that there is a degree of "immunization" against going that far again. After all, a currency-trader and veteran of the NY Fed has been Prime Minister of NZ for the last seven years, and you can't get any more "free" than that.
Yeah right!. Beautiful. :-)
Free for the taking .
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-02-12/land-milk-and-honey#comment-578...
Yep, we pretty much had a command economy in the 70s/early 80s after the oil shock - subsidies, wage freeze, make-work schemes through state run corporations, pegged exchange rate, etc.
Then we threw all that out in the 80s and went cold turkey, with the promise the free market would do wonders. What it did was encourage manufacturing to go offshore, and key infrastructure was sold off.
We've spent big $$ buying back the rail system that was run intio the ground by an offshore corporation, and we struggle with getting energy companies to plan on a long enough horizon to ensure security of supply.
Rationalisation was needed, but some of us believe we moved a little too far for the good of the nation - change was driven by ideology rather than pragmatism/need/cost:benefit (so often the way). Still, its all market forces (and regulation) now.
As for our currency trader boss, he is rather blinkered by his background. A Friedmanite I would say, and rather simplistic in his understanding of economics. Embarrassingly obsequious towards bigger western nations (Obama, Cameron in particular). Most NZers pride ourselves on being independent and neutral (as the French discovered), but I fear our boss bends over too often and too easily.
git yourself a batch in Titirangi mate!!
Prefer Tasman Bay myself. Great weather, warm sea, great beaches, water sports, hunting, tramping, mountain biking, fishing, WINE.
Whangaparoa looks nice, but I reckon its probably flooded with far too many JAFAs in the summer to be much fun.
So? We got freedom of stawks to rise every day, what could be better than that?
USA!USA!USA!
Still 49. After Niger. Respect.
Niger? please.
If we want to have any shot at keeping this ponzi going another 5-10 years we better be DEEP RED real soon.
What do you expect when you are trying to build a Communist world oligarchy?
Germany’s Deep Cooperation with the NSA
UK’s GCHQ ‘guilty of unlawful surveillance’ With U.S.
Legal Loophole Lets German Government Spy on Own Citizens
NSA Claims TOR Guards Your Privacy Yet TOR Is In Bed With U.S. Government
Big Business Of Government Oppression – Interpolitex-2014
Spying on Citizens Is A Global State Practice
I note that correlation between the Top 8 and top scores in student competition (national rankings).
Imagine that... a medium-sized country (8-30 million), whose priority is the Centrist's path of Health, Education and War Avoidance CAN in fact do well and lead to decent quality of life all around. Imagine that!
The US needs to be broken into 6-8 regions to flourish again.
I'm partial to 8 regions, but would be happy with 6. Heck, I'd settle for 2: DC, NY and CA as one country...
You libertarians won't rest until you remake America into a freedom-rich Somolian analogue.
And you totalitarians statists won't rest until we are another version of North Korea.
lol,
you misspelled both 'fiscally responsible mixed economies' and 'Norway'
Oh right, i forget: in GaryAllenspeak "totalitarians (sic) statists" and "fiscally responsible mixed economies" are always one and the same,
regardless of reality.
:)
-- Boilerplate message out of the State Archives. Always commendable to repeat that message.
Freedom = Somalia
"Watch out! Here comes another Predator Drone!"
So a degree of distortion similar to 'Dr' Engali equating Norway with North Korea?
I'm not sure I agree, seeing as both Norway and North Korea actually exist to be so different
When the masses get too uppity always tell them that freedom means chaos and warlords.
Well now, that depends on your definition of 'freedom', now doesn't it? Unless you're just using it as your 'punch' word.
Because as far as purely amoral systems go, chaos is not a bad assessment.
In my experience, any nation that carries a debt cannot be free; how is that for a definition?
Just because you and your kind would behave like Somali pirates if there was no government does not mean the rest of us would be so uncivilized.
Did I mention you exposed yourself?
The 'rest of us'? Never heard the expression, "it only takes one bad apple..."?
Amorality is not renowned for bringing out the best in everyone.
Only down to #49? El Presidente Zero has his work cut out for him if we are to reach the bottom before he leaves office.
We hit bottom already, it's called the dead man bounce.
If we go down any more, he won't feel the need to leave office.
He can't wait for the day he gets to play all the golf he wants without that annoying teleprompter reading every few days.
That explains Obama's 50% approval rating at least.
We're not in the red or black yet, so that's something.
#152 Russian Federation
Sounds about right, that midget is cracking down on everyone there. Sites like Zerohedge, criticizing Kremlin politics would not be very well received by the midget. Dozdj is pretty much the only anti-government TV channel, that is not controlled by the Putler.
ZH won't criticize Russia. The Tylers have a major man crush on Putin. They actively push his propaganda. It's like the Russian MSNBC up in here.
Is harvest and man is get many potato. Man bring potato for merchant but potato is rokk. Also merchant is politburo. Man sent to gulag for suffer. Such is life.
Fucking former soviet satellite countries crack me up...
For perspective... then there's "Sieg Heil!" Ukraine at #129. 129??? Riiiiight. LMAO.
And don't forget the Arabian Gulf states and all their freedoms.
'Merika & Friends: "All the Freedumbs worth fighting for"
>>>'Merika & Friends: "All the Freedumbs worth fighting for"
I prefer "worth losing the use of your body below the waist for".
Canada is way too high on the list. Our MSM is complete contolled bullshit.
It doesn't count if they do it to themselves. It only counts if they tell the truth and get slapped down for it.
Yeah. It's easy to rank high if you don't even make an attempt to dig for the truth.
Canada doesn't have media it has a relay stations from american propaganda outlets but we're too cold to give a shit half the time plus we all figured out the murkan's were full of shit after Vietnam and don't pay attention to all the bullshit anyway!! Plus we have Steven Harper he's embarassing enough!
It could be worse, the U.S. has a selfie taking Marxist Muslim as it's dictator.
cbc (english) is pretty boring, and the privates are practically all owned by the Desmarais (PowerCorp), but the council of canadians, the tyee, rabble, and many others all say what they want when they want.
I do hear auditing is the newest method of draining dissent's coffers in Harperland...
But hey, it's an election year! Get Icelandic levels of voter turnout in October (~80% of the eligible electorate) and I guarantee things will change for the better.
That's a promise.
How can Obama's America not be at the top of that list? He dissolved the border and is giving anyone who can haul themselves across the Rio FREE SHIT! IRS money, housing, EBT, whatever you want! Whitey white face will work to provide you with Everything you desire!
The list is about press freedom, so I don't get your point.
If they would have Michael Hastingsed Sheryl Attkinson we would be 46th easily.
"The shining city on a hill"
This Index is a Sham, freedom of press in Europe ONLY exists if you express Politically Correct views, just try criticizing Immigration, Socialism or the Jews and you will very quickly learn how really "free" Europe is.
Yep, "Reporters without Borders" is just another progtard activist group. Like "Union of Concerned Scientists".
Rightt!
seems to be funded by CIA front organizations!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false"
- William Casey, former CIA Director
Good one!
Maybe there should be different category for controlling the press with lies as press releases, as opposed to simply limiting freedom of the press.
Then the USA would be #1 again!
Not just "seems to be", it flat out is. CIA front group "donates" money, suddenly their pet issue is given attention. Of course, all those NGOs tend to have spooks and spook-connected people who secure USG funds for basically everything they do. Follow the money and it's obvious. Follow the politics and it's hilarious.
+1000
That's a spot-on comment. What a total joke that Germany is toward the top of the list. They have loads of controls over what people can say.
Yep. Sweden is #5? Try writing something even mildly critical of the third world FSA taking advantage of the generous social benefits there and see what happens.
And now our fearless leader wants to federalize control of the internet with a multi-thousand page book of regulations. And his mindless cult-of-personality supporters will support it all. (Didn't similar happen in Russia during the 1920s, and in Germany during the 1930s, and subsequently in China.
Hey, wait one minute!
We're still well ahead of some good countries there: Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Guatemala, North Korea.....and there are others!!
Reporters Without Borders. Aren't they sex tourists who have their carfare prepaid for them?
reporters without limits!
If Reporters Without Borders are anything like the (Nobel prize-winning!) Médecins Sans Frontières, they have a core of decent people, augmented by large numbers of trained individuals who, for one reason or another, are unable to hold a job in the real world.
Of course, given the nature of "the real world" these days, unemployment is looking better and better - perhaps the most ethical thing one can do.
I knew the US was through when you allowed the TSA to grope your women and children in airports. If you held still for that you will hold still for anything.
If you are looking for the watershed event that will create a popular uprising against the oligarchs look in the rear view mirror.
There hasn't been one since the Vietnam War protests led by..... the boomers.
"The U.S. fell three places to 49th amid a “war on information” by the Obama administration"
But who really cares? The republicans pushed through the Patriot Act. The Bill of Rights died a decade ago.
Final Roll Call Vote on Patriot Act 2001:
Republican 211 For 3 Against
Democrat 145 For 62 Against
Which liberal Democrat senators voted in favor of the March 2, 2006 Patriot Act Reauthorizing Act???
Barbara Boxer
Joe Biden
Harry Reid
Dianne Feinstein
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/patriotact20012006senatevote.shtml
Water no longer wets us... and fire no longer burns.
http://incapp.org/blog/?p=2358
Belgium does not deserve the 15th place. Not even close. The Belgian media is one huge propaganda tool. The people who made this list must be complete idiots.
I think the US just went up a few notches. Jan Pesaki was interviewed by Megan Kelly yesterday and Megan absolutely tore her a new asshole. It really was astounding.
Any links to that? I'm sorry I missed it. Any opportunity to watch Jan Psaki get ripped a new one is well worth a watch.
Obama now has an internet "Kill-switch". If the gov't decides the internet is beyond their control or out of control, a flick of the switch will fix that in a hurry. The root-cause of diminishing freedom in America is the unbridled surveillance.
The Constitution was fatally wounded in 1861 with the denial of Freedom of Association and finally passed away in 1913.
The Bill of Rights, lacking blood supply has been comatose since 1932, and finally died sometime between 1964 when States lost the power to rule in areas where the feds lack authority per the 10th Amendment dies and 2001 when all but the 2nd were confirmed as dead.
It continues to amaze me that the States, who LITERALLY have nothing to gain from the Fed government, continue to prostrate themselves.
Honestly, it would be EASY to have the State to insert themselves between the citizens and the IRS, and then forward funds at their discretion.
The Federal government LITERALLY does nothing for the States. It is ENTIRELY a vehicle for bankers, international interests, and Oligarchs to exert a corrupting influence.
Very good points. But the Fed is able to effectively blackmail the states by threatening to withhold federal funds from their state projects. This forces states to "tow-the-line" and remain subserviant to the Federals. I think a Scott Walker-type candidate is our best chance to revive our constitution and correct our predicament.
I don't know about Scott Walker, but if there is any peaceful solution to the USA's federal tyranny, it lies with the state governments.
When I contemplate the possibility of a non-federal, Hamiltonian Amurica, I shudder: can you conceive of your state's governor being appointed by the President, be he Obama or Bush?
Walker is a fascist.
"Walker is a fascist" FALSE. (are you a Wisconsin teacher?)
Nope. Sorry bitch, try another dimwit pigeonhole.
And let's not forget the Act of 1871 that turned the 10-mile area around Washington DC into a corporation owned by the City of London bankers.
No wonder nothing the government does is for the people.
Being a Canadian I have to say that Canada should be rated much lower perhaps just above the US. The media is completely controlled just like in the US, freedom of information requests are still available to the public but requests can take years to be released, in redacted form. The entire system is set up to take as long as possible.
A recent case in the courts.
Canadian media ordered by Government of Canada not to report on the Federal Court ruling against private central banksRead more at http://investmentwatchblog.com/canadian-media-ordered-by-government-of-c...
And this is the precursor to shutting down internet sites the government doesn't like.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/editorials/anti-terrorism-bi...
My thoughts exactly, I knew this was bullshit as soon as I saw Canada's #10.
The media whores here aren't even pretty. I don't think I have watched a Canadian "news" broadcast in 20 years. The media in Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of the government which has given 4 outfits total control of all media in this country.
The government of Canada wants to be the gate keeper for their scientific communities contributions as well.
http://www.littleredumbrella.com/2012/06/stephen-harpers-war-on-science....
We could be like Sweden at the top of the list
We could allow Islam to take over some cities like they did
There, I fixt it.
Just more evidence that indeed... the South was right!
I'm moving to Romania. The women are beautiful, and the press is slightly more free.
I can say Argentina must be one of the places were there is more freedom of press. In fact, everybody publishes all the rubbish they want. From every side, guaranteed.
Advice: don't believe then in anything published. Most of it is pure shit (pardon my french).
To have any idea of what's going on, do your own research.
P.s.: I live down here.
I was in Mexico City recently, saw dozens of daily newspapers on sell at a news stand!
Sure, everybody in Argentina publishes all the rubbish they want--just as long as they aren't critical of Christina Kirchner and her socialist cronies...
Like it or not, Cristina isn't socialist, for god sake!
Like it or not, Cristina isn't socialist, for god sake!
There ist still room for deterioration: the US came in before Russia
Burkina Faso?
But the US is first in the spreading of disinformation.
Of course Finland won. Just run a simple cross-comparison of Bilderberg invitee lists and the CEOs and Chief Editors of the largest Finnish "independent" newspapers and tv channels - and also add those of the thoroughly political public broadcasting company YLE. That's our entire media field there, no second opinions allowed.
Basically every time our media orgs have to kick the CEO or Chief Editor they send the new guy to Bilderberg meeting the following year for vetting and new orders (or whatever).
That's how you make #1 in this list. Very little to do with "press freedoms" and such.
I'd have to agree. Rankings and top x list are pablum for the people. There aint nowhere safe to say what's on your mind, as freely as we might like to.
Russia = #152. How could that be?
Folks here tell us what a libertarian patriot he is.
Off to Siberia with you!
And the world's greatest defender of christianity!
The US needs to take military action against those that compiled this list..........to protect freedom of course! :-0
I think Obama's funniest quote of the year so far was in relation to Russia......"we can't allow bigger countries to pick on the smaller countries"
Cough, splutter, excuse me?
Canada is ridiculously high. Canada forbids news sources they disagree.
Freedom of press: "freedom" to think how the Elite and hidden masters want you to think.
"Freedom" from other countries to create 5th column to destabilize foreign government especially those that defy US/western hegemony.
In some "free" countries you can't investigate about Holocaust without being sued.
Free speech my ass.
Aren't they a bit harsh on Russia's Ranking?
According to the online questionaire, I am not eligible to emmigrate to Canada. If I was, I would go.
*Edit: after reading other comments here, eh... maybe a bad plan...
Maybe I should quit using a cell phone. Do I keep a land line?
Got rid of TV and the internet at home a few years agao, the peace has been amazing. No regrets.