Georgetown: Guyana moves up 2 points, U.S. declines by 13 on press freedom index according to “Reporters without borders” annual Freedom Index report.
Reporters Without Borders is a non-profit organisation that aims to protect journalists around the world, and acts as a watchdog for abuses.
The United States of America (USA) 46th in the world regarding freedom of information, a drop of 13 spots from last year, the highest in the Western Hemisphere. And Guyana has moved two points up from last year, from 69 to 67 out of 180 countries across the globe.
According to the report, countries, like the USA, which pride themselves on being democracies and respecting the rule of law have not set an example in the area of press freedom; rather the reality is far from it.
The report said, “Freedom of information is too often sacrificed to an overly broad and abusive interpretation of national security needs, marking a disturbing retreat from democratic practices. Investigative journalism often suffers as a result.
“This has been the case in the United States (46th), which fell 13 places, one of the most significant declines, amid increased efforts to track down whistleblowers and the sources of leaks. The trial and conviction of Private Bradley Manning and the pursuit of NSA analyst Edward Snowden were warnings to all those thinking of assisting in the disclosure of sensitive information that would clearly be in the public interest.
“US journalists were stunned by the Department of Justice’s seizure of Associated Press phone records without warning in order to identify the source of a CIA leak. It served as a reminder of the urgent need for a “shield law” to protect the confidentiality of journalists’ sources at the federal level. The revival of the legislative process is little consolation for James Risen of The New York Times, who is subject to a court order to testify against a former CIA employee accused of leaking classified information. And less still for Barrett Brown, a young freelance journalist facing 105 years in prison in connection with the posting of information that hackers obtained from Statfor, a private intelligence company with close ties to the federal government.”
It added that an increased focus on cracking down on whistleblowers has significantly dropped the United States’ press freedom ranking in the world.
“Both the U.S. and U.K. authorities seem obsessed with hunting down whistleblowers instead of adopting legislation to rein in abusive surveillance practices that negate privacy, a democratic value cherished in both countries,” the report said.
Finland, the Netherlands and Norway topped the list, while Eritrea, North Korea and Turkmenistan were considered the most hostile nations in the world for press freedom. The report, which ranks 180 countries, “reflects the degree of freedom that journalists, news organisations and (internet users) enjoy in each country, and the efforts made by the authorities to respect and ensure respect for this freedom,” according to the study’s methodology.
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