Israeli press freedom on the decline

Gregg Carlstrom | October 22, 2009 10:45 AM | 0 | recommend (0) |   |      

Reporters Without Borders has released its 2009 Press Freedom Index (h/t Neal Ungerleider at True/Slant).

When it comes to the countries we cover, the report is pretty predictable. Iran is the fourth-worst country to be a journalist in -- just below Burma and one step ahead of Turkmenistan. Yemen, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Palestine and Libya all make the "20 worst" list.

The biggest change? Israel, which was ranked 41st in 2008, slides down -- a long way down, to 93rd.

Reporters Without Borders blamed that mostly on the draconian press restrictions Israel imposed during Operation Cast Lead. But the group also writes that Israel is cracking down on journalists inside Israeli territory.

Israel has begun to use the same methods internally as it does outside its own territory. Reporters Without Borders registered five arrests of journalists, some of them completely illegal, and three cases of imprisonment. The military censorship applied to all the media is also posing a threat to journalists.

Kuwait was the top-ranked country in the region, at #60, a one-spot improvement from last year.

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Categories: Life and Culture, Media

Tags: Operation Cast Lead, press freedom, Reporters Without Borders

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