Freedom of the Press 2011 identifies the greatest threats to independent media in 196 countries and territories. Released on May 2 as part of the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day celebration in Washington, D.C., the report shows that global media freedom has reached a new low point, contributing to an environment in which only one in every six people live in countries with a Free press.
Freedom of the Press 2011 identifies the greatest threats to independent media in 196 countries and territories. Released on May 2 as part of the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day celebration in Washington, D.C., the report shows that global media freedom has reached a new low point, contributing to an environment in which only one in every six people live in countries with a Free press. In 2010, there were particularly worrisome trends in the Middle East and the Americas, while improvements were noted in sub-Saharan Africa.
Bahrain ranked 159 out of 196 countries with 72 points out of 100 which mean it has declined 6 degrees from its 2010 rank at 153. On the MENA region list it ranked at 12 while its 2010 rank was 9. On this latest report Bahrain is one of 16 “Not Free” countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, that includes Syria, Egypt, Libya and Saudi Arabia.
The Freedom of the Press index assesses the degree of print, broadcast, and internet freedom in every country in the world, analyzing the events and developments of each calendar year. Ratings are determined through an examination of three broad categories: the legal environment in which media operate; political influences on reporting and access to information; and economic pressures on content and the dissemination of news.
Freedom House boss David Kramer says a country where journalists cannot report freely without fear of interference, by the government or other actors, has little hope of achieving or maintaining true democracy.
Freedom House survey recognized the following Key Trends in 2010
• Misuse of licensing and regulatory frameworks has emerged as a key method of control in a number of semidemocratic and authoritarian settings.
• Control over new means of news dissemination, particularly internet-based social media, has become a priority for authoritarian governments.
• Threats to media freedom remain a concern in established democracies.
• Worsening violence against the press and impunity for such crimes are forcing journalists into self-censorship or exile.
• The role of nonstate forces in the suppression of press freedom is growing.
More details of the report on freedomhouse.org
