Article

2004-05-05 International-UN-NGOs

FREEDOM HOUSE: Global Press Freedom Deteriorates

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Posted by Aris Katsaris 2004-05-05 9:42:13 AM|| || Front Page|| [11133 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 I'm more concerned about Global Press Objectivity Deteriorates.

Posted by virginian 2004-05-05 12:34:53 PM|| 2004-05-05 12:34:53 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 Cuba and N Korea at the bottom {YAWN}

I looked at the stats by region also : 1/25 mid-east countries free press (I bet you can't guess which one)

11/15 North American/Carribbean countries free press. (Not Free : Cuba - Haiti)

Everyhing else a mixed bag except Oceania(Pacific Islands/Aus/NZ) 13 free 1 partly free

We are 5 points beind Denmark - DAMN CNN! they must be the ones who cost us points.

Posted by BigEd 2004-05-05 1:02:17 PM|| 2004-05-05 1:02:17 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 It amuses me that gullible college students in particular treat these biased, agenda-driven pronouncements as objective fact:
"According to a leading journalistic freedom group, the US and its allies rank below North Korea in blah, blah, blah."

This is the age of gullibility, and the media have managed to use the influence of pop culture to conceal this behind a laughably thin fascade of cynicism.

The conformist media-bot masses are taught to pride themselves on their skepticism, but the idea of applying this skepticism to the media/academic/activist culture literally never crosses their minds.

Fox TV's Conspiracy Theory:Did we go to the Moon?" (aka The Loathsome Moon Hoax Show) was a perfect example. I talked to one idiot after another who bought every word of it, on the grounds that they know to "question the word of the government."
Too bad it never occurred to them to question the word of Nash Entertainment, the show's producer.

Posted by Atomic Conspiracy 2004-05-05 1:15:22 PM|| 2004-05-05 1:15:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 AC - I hear some folks believe the moon landing was staged in the Painted Desert of Arizona.

Too bad it never occurred to them to question the word of Nash Entertainment, the show's producer.

Is that after his LSD trip wears off or before?

Posted by BigEd 2004-05-05 1:33:56 PM|| 2004-05-05 1:33:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 Atomic Conspiracy -- did you actually read the survey in question? What agenda do you believe that Freedom House is hiding, besides the one they openly proclaim -- namely helping the spread of freedom and democracy in the world? And why are you bringing anti-Americanism into this when US is consistently rated by Freedom House as being among the most free nations in the world?

And on the matter of scepticism, I think you chose the wrong target -- I've found Freedom House's surveys to be stuffed with facts and specific detailed explanations for their ratings, which are probably as objective as possible.

Posted by Aris Katsaris 2004-05-05 1:44:09 PM|| 2004-05-05 1:44:09 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 All kiddin aside, AC -

Aris K is right on the money. Freedom house is much much more even-handed than Amnesty International, who has an agenda.

Posted by BigEd 2004-05-05 1:59:21 PM|| 2004-05-05 1:59:21 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Aris, my bad.

Actually, I did read the survey. What I failed to read was my own comment before I hit the "accept" button.
The first sentence should have been:

"It's good to see the US and its allies ranking near the top, in contrast to the usual run of highly publicized but factually dubious NGO ratings of national human rights performance."

What I get for posting from work.

Posted by Atomic Conspiracy 2004-05-05 3:37:13 PM|| 2004-05-05 3:37:13 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Berlusconi's status as a media kingpin is behind the drop in Italy's rating. I admire the man for his strong stand against terrorism, but I don't think it's healthy for a national leader to have quite this degree of control over sources of information.

This situation does not yet exist in the US but it very easily could in the future. It is something that needs to be watched carefully.

As for the US ranking below Denmark, this is probably based on the tighter control the US exercises over the content of broadcasting.

Posted by Atomic Conspiracy 2004-05-05 3:49:12 PM|| 2004-05-05 3:49:12 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 AC - When my folks went to Europe in 1967, street vendors had porn in the open. I guess having kids see that on the street gives them those extra 5 points.

Posted by BigEd 2004-05-05 4:04:35 PM|| 2004-05-05 4:04:35 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 I don't know about the rest of Europe but Athens atleast still has street vendors sell porn in the open, so that's probably not strictly a 1967 phenomenon. :-)

Then again a billboard ad showing two women kissing got taken down, and a TV station ended up getting fined after a series showed two guys doing likewise in prime time -- part of the reason Greece has been teetering for a while now on the Free/Partly Free boundary where Press Freedom is concerned.

Posted by Aris Katsaris 2004-05-05 4:51:48 PM|| 2004-05-05 4:51:48 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 Um, about those stadiums, Aris?

Posted by Raj 2004-05-05 4:57:08 PM|| [http://angrycyclist.blogspot.com] 2004-05-05 4:57:08 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 Can the stalker troll be banned?

Posted by Aris Katsaris 2004-05-05 5:05:13 PM|| 2004-05-05 5:05:13 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 Aris, my mother specifically refered to Denmark...

Posted by BigEd 2004-05-05 6:11:11 PM|| 2004-05-05 6:11:11 PM|| Front Page Top

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