Saturday, December 5, 2009

Reporters Sans Frontieres

October brought the annual Press Freedom Index from Reporters Without Borders. The index is compiled every year with input from journalists and media outlets around the world.




Not surprising to me (or anyone who is aware of my love for Finland) was the group of Nordic countries topping the list. Congratulations, Scandinavia, on your transparency. Equally interesting is the high position of the three Baltic nations - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. History will attest to their independent spirit and I think it is admirable that less than 20 years after declaring freedom from the USSR, they are considered to be some of the most open countries to emerge from behind the iron curtain.

The report includes information about how the index was compiled, along with the questionnaire which was used by journalists and media outlets.

Does the position of any country surprise you?

2 comments:

  1. I'm a former journalist from Canada. I can't say I am surprised with our nation's position on this list. I know transparency vs. spin was a frequent topic of discussion in newsroom and press gallery where I worked.
    What did surprise me was the United States position on the list. They ranked 108th where Canada ranked much higher at 19th. I understand that geography does not play a role in how countries are ranked but I imagine culture would. I know the two countries are not the same; however, I had no idea their governments would be so different when our cultures are similar in many ways.

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  2. You're so cool! I do not think I've read through anything like this before. So great to discover someone with a few unique thoughts on this subject. Seriously.. thank you for starting this up. This web site is one thing that is needed on the internet, someone with a little originality!

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