Which countries still have a legitimate free press?

[_Jumper_]

Corporate whore presses don't count.

[xray s]

1. anyone who can access the internet can access the true free press

and that is the only thing saving us right now.

[gkdarby]

16. internet free press

Don't you find the lack of fact checking and constant rumor pushing a little worrisome? The fact is that Drudge wouldn't be able to do half the things he does if he had to do them in print. I love the net. But I also love the old line, crumbling professional press as well.

[HEyHEY]

2. Do you mean the press as a whole?

Or at least one entity of it?

[_Jumper_]

7. The press overall

n/t

[Eureka]

3. How about Australia

No, wait, Rupert Murdoch was australian, silly me, forget everything I just said.

[RichM]

4. Well, we can safely say the US does not. Britain appears to have the

same disease as the US, but not quite as severe a case. My guess is that most other industrialized countries are closer to Britain, including Canada.

You seem to be from Canada. Is that how it looks to you?

[_Jumper_]

6. I'm from America

:(

[orwell]

5. RWB

The Scandanavian countries were ranked high on press freedom. In this hemisphere Canada ranks up there.

There is actually a group that ranks these things.

http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=20

o

[_Jumper_]

8. Interesting

Here is their map:

The darker the color, the less free the press is.

[JoeKSimmons]

10. Cuba has no free press?

With the strong democratic defense Castro gets here one would think Cuba is the be and end all of a free democracy. What happened to Cuba?

[windansea]

15. Cuba has heavy restrictions on internet use

The Internet under suveillance

Internet use is very restricted and under tight surveillance. Access is only possible with government permission and equipment is rationed.

The government says development of computers and Internet resources is a national priority. Computers and communications minister Roberto Ignacio González Planas said in October 2002 that the number of computers in the country had tripled in two years and that fibre-optic cable now linked Havana and Camagüey and would soon reach Santiago, at the other end of the island.

But material restrictions are still the main obstacle to major public expansion of the Internet. There are only four phone lines for every hundred people and the high cost of international calls ($2 a minute to the United States) and the rarity of lines to the outside world, which are assigned on a political basis and closely monitored, effectively prevent any connection through a foreign ISP.

more

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=7295

[Columbia]

11. They need to update Iraq on their map

[Aidoneus]

20. why?

Your friends and their lackeys don't allow any paper that criticizes the invasion and occupation. Is this what you consider free?

[Columbia]

24. There is a free press

The only restriction is on positions that incite violence and civil disorder, which is a restriction that exists in all countries.

Papers critical of the occupation are not disallowed.

Regardless, freedom of speech is undoubtedly greatly expanded than it was under the hand of Saddam. Protest marches and the proliferation of political parties and newspapers are evidence of this.

[Bhaisahab]

22. Hey you can't do that!

Trust me... India has a freer press than America. You gotta reverse the colors man!

[Cleita]

9. Canada, and I assume that is your homeland, still seems to.

I am waiting any day for my satellite access to announce we can't get Canadian news anymore.

[HEyHEY]

12. Well I would say in North AMerica CBC is the front runner

However, the rest of Canadian media has alot to be desired

[windansea]

13. and the world's biggest prison for journalists??

[Spazito]

14. I think Canada has a good press, with the CBC being the best...

and, so far, the private sector media is somewhat fair but far from totally objective on some issues.

[arewethereyet]

17. which country ever had one ?

so long as it costs money to produce media, there will never be a free press.

[Wonk]

18. Finland, Iceland, Norway, The Netherlands, and Canada are the top 5.

edit: Note to self - read the thread before bothering to post.

http://www.rsf.fr/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=20




Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2002

[rman]

19. unreliable source, i'd say

that map shows the free press situation in the US is "good", while it's obvious that it isn't good at all.

[sweetheart]

23. The US is number 31 !!

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=8247

not such a bad source those reporters without borders.

[CHIMO]

21. America

It stands alone with

http://www.democracynow.org/index.pl

If you haven't listened to the broadcasts then you don't know the environment.

Since the BBC shutdown there is very little in original investigation or effort.

Try it. You might like it.

[Vernunft II]

25. The US press is totally free to report whatever they want, thus

the high ranking. There are no government restrictions. The problem in the US is that while technically free every news outlet is owned by someone with an agenda and that obviously colours in the reporting.

THAT kind of problem however is not included in the ranking of RSF.

[anarchy1999]

26. None!

The only free press to be found is on the internet.

Our time is short.