U.S. ranks 47th in media freedom, org says

(CBS/AP) 

PARIS - Reporters Without Borders has named "crackdown" the word of 2011 in an assessment of global media freedom during a year in which journalists covering sweeping protests were tested as never before.

The Paris-based press freedom watchdog said Wednesday that the wave of uprisings in the Middle East, the Occupy movement in the West and continued protests in China gave journalists an unprecedented role in advancing democracy. But they also were often targeted by governments trying to quash dissent.

"Never has freedom of information been so closely associated with democracy. Never have journalists, through their reporting, vexed the enemies of freedom so much," the group said in a statement accompanying its report.

But the important role journalists played put them in the cross hairs of repressive regimes, the report said, adding: "Never have acts of censorship and physical attacks on journalists seemed so numerous."

View Reporter's Without Borders' full report here

The heightened unrest resulted in a significant shake-up of the group's annual Press Freedom Index, which assesses governments' commitment to protecting media freedoms. The United States, for instance, fell 27 places to 47 because of arrests of journalists during Occupy Wall Street protests. The slide places it just behind Comoros and Taiwan in a group with Argentina and Romania.

Tunisia, which threw off decades of authoritarian rule in a revolt last year that sparked the Arab Spring uprisings, rose 30 places. But the group said its rank remains low — at 134 out of 179 — because although it "gave birth to a democratic regime," it "has not yet fully accepted a free and independent press."

Despite the big changes, some constants remained. Finland and Norway topped the list, as they did for 2010. Eritrea was last, with North Korea just above.

Syria, where an uprising against the government has been met with a brutal crackdown that has left more than 5,000 people dead, received its worst rating ever at 176.

The group judged that Syria, along with Iran and China, "seem to have lost contact with reality as they have been sucked into an insane spiral of terror."

[Rynedrop]

Here in United States of America, you have lots of freedom which is good. Problem is we have representatives from every state that people VOTED IN because citizens of USA believed in them. Seems our representatives have an agendia all their own. Exactly what is their agendia and who are they working for?

[Rynedrop]

Here in United States of America, you have lots of freedom which is good. Problem is we have representatives from every state that people VOTED IN because citizens of USA believed in them. Seems our representatives have an agendia all their own. Exactly what is their agendia and who are they working for?

[perfectionist13]

I find it very hypocritical that a country that wants to promote democracy and freedom, can't even Rank number 1. I find it very hilarious that we supposedly in the constitution have freedom of press and speech but as the article explains is not 100% true and freedom of speech but remember is limited. again great example to give to those countries we go and try to show "Democracy" too.

[venusvegasvada]

Another reason to kill SOPA and PIPA.

Keep the internet free.

It's the technological equivalent of exporting freedom to the world and that in itself makes it a powerful weapon for good.

[Let-me-explain]

The FCC's job WAS to stop the communications media from being owned and there by controlled by a select minority group of the ultra wealthy.

Instead with enough payola rolling in the back door slots to the FCC and the US Congress, the FCC changed the rules that had been in place for hundreds of years in the past to protect the United States Public, the rules regarding how many points of media any one group could control have been relaxed to the point of being useless, or done away with all together, and the Ultra wealthy have bought up as many TV, Newspaper, and Radio stations as they wanted in direct contradiction to the spirit of the FCC.

What used to be news outlets are now owned by entertainment companies that have taken any truth along with any investigative reporting and made a nightly broadcast of the size of the Kardashians behinds their hard hitting story hour after hour.

The editors that had any journalistic integrity have long ago been replaced with yes boys that editorialize the opinion of their rich masters into every angle possible until it's not news, but a blatant minute by minuet attempt to make their masters version of any news story comply to their masters whims.

The extent of the greed of the United States Congressmen who purposefully allowed this to happen boarders on treason, and when you look at what these same Congressmen purposefully removed the rules that kept our Banking industry solvent, it smells more and more like a colluded act of destruction than just simple minded greed.

When you own the media you can bend the information anyway you want.

The US should not even be ranked 47th, because those driving this are intent on the United States having no freedom of the press at all.

[krisinal]

Please....it's in the Constitution.

Just because these folks have a bug up their butts about the OWS folks.....yes, that would make us 47th in the world......NOT....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA

[skeezix06]

Yay! We're #47. We're #47. We're #47.

On a not entirely unrelated note there is a certain irony in the fact that the country that supposedly is the world's bastion of freedom only comes in at #47.

[MegaProcrastination]

Way to go, US! You all should be so proud of your censorship. Take a bow, please!

[cbs_bull]

"because of arrests of journalists during Occupy Wall Street protests."

Were those journalists simply doing their job for reporting or participate the protests? It's pity for our country going towards China and North Korea on media freedom.

[texasjustice801]

Just as bad as every other countrys' media for censorship though.