Pres Freedoms mapped around the world

[Saigon]

I found this really interesting in view of all of the talk about media spin and bias...

Biggest rises and falls in the 2014 World Press Freedom Index

The 2014 World Press Freedom Index spotlights the negative impact of conflicts on freedom of information and its protagonists. Finland tops the index for the fourth year running, closely followed by Netherlands and Norway, like last year. At the other end of the index, the last three positions are again held by Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea, three countries where freedom of information is non-existent. Despite occasional turbulence in the past year, these countries continue to be news and information black holes and living hells for the journalists who inhabit them.

Reporters Without Borders

 

[MisterBeale]

We should be in orange.

 

[Saigon]

We should be in orange.

I don't know - I was surprised by both the US and UK ratings. I think they are a little harsh, myself.

There is so many very good media outlets in the US and UK that I don't think the likes of Fox should negatively impact the rating as much as it seems to.

 

[Tom Sweetnam]

"The ranking of some countries has also been affected by a tendency to interpret national security needs in an overly broad and abusive manner to the detriment of the right to inform and be informed."

I don't have much use for "Reporters Without Borders". They're mostly a bunch of pansy leftist substance abusers who think by virtue of wearing "PRESS" flak jackets in hot zones (which 99% of them don't have the balls to do in the first place), they shouldn't be shot at nor should they suffer any danger. They rank Israel an orange country? Please. That should tell you all you need to know about Reporters Without Borders. They're as big an anti-Semitic marxist rabble as Amnesty International.

And look at that quote from their web site up there. What does that tell you? If you don't support espionage against you're own nation, you're a country with press problems? That's bullshit. We have the freest press in the world in America. There are no less than 6000 national and international news outlets on that screen in front of our noses, and tens of thousands of excellent blogs. And we can shoot our mouths off in the public arena like no other nation on earth. Look at USMB. As usual, Saigon is plumbing the world's septic tanks for one more screed against America.

 

[Saigon]

Tom,

I have mixed feelings about the whistle-blower cases myself. I do think there are times whe journalists should prioritise nationalsecurity over journalistic license, but that is a fine line.

It's also worth keeping in mind that it makes little sense to accuse your president of being a Marxist, and then also call the people criticising him of the same thing. In reality, neither party here are Marxist - obviously, I would have thought.

As for journalists - if tou have never had the balls to enter a war zone, I suggest you do not accuse those who do so of being pansies. It's childish.