Reporters Without Borders

Reporters Without Borders, or RWB (French: Reporters sans frontières, Spanish: Reporteros Sin Fronteras, or RSF) is an international non-governmental organization interested in issues relating to freedom of the press. Although small in size, RWB has been recognized for the frequent issuing of reports and press releases on press freedoms. [1] Groups have expressed concerns over RWB's reporting and activist methods, and it has been described as an 'ultrareactionary' organization by the state-controlled newspaper of the Cuban Communist Party.[2]

RWB states that it draws its inspiration from Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that everyone has "the right to freedom of opinion and expression" and also the right to "seek, receive and impart" information and ideas "regardless of frontiers." This has been re-affirmed by several charters and declarations around the world covering Africa and the Americas. In Europe, this right is included in the 1950 Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

In its agenda to address press freedom and freedom of expression world-wide, RWB has paid little attention in its publications to issues relating to copyright protection. RWB itself has in the past faced legal challenges for infringing upon copyright issues even in its home country of France. [3]

RWB published the Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents in September 2005. The handbook provides technical tips on how to start a blog anonymously and avoid censorship. It includes contributions from renowned journalists Dan Gillmor, Jay Rosen and Ethan Zuckerman.

RWB is a member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange, a virtual network of non-governmental organisations that monitors free expression violations worldwide and campaigns to defend journalists, writers and others who are persecuted for exercising their right to freedom of expression.

In 2005, RSF shared the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought with Nigerian human rights lawyer Hauwa Ibrahim and Cuba's Ladies in White movement [4].

Contents 1 Financing and impartiality 2 Worldwide press freedom index 3 See also 4 External links

Financing and impartiality

Some have questioned RWB's impartiality due to a significant amount of funding coming directly or indirectly from US and French government bodies [5][6]. However, it should be noted that RWB has openly criticized treatment of reporters in the United States' occupation of Iraq.

Lucie Morillon, RWB's Washington representative, confirmed in an interview on 29 April 2005 that the organization receives money from the Washington-based Center for a Free Cuba ($50,000 in 2004), and that a contract with the US State Department's Special Envoy to the Western Hemisphere, Otto Reich, requires them to inform Europeans about repression against journalists in Cuba. However, the organisation has denied that its campaigning on the issue of Cuba - in declarations on radio and television, full-page ads in Parisian dailies, posters, leafletting at airports and an April 2003 occupation of the Cuban tourism office in Paris - were related to the payments. [7].

In addition to its other sources of funding, RWB receives free publicity from Saatchi and Saatchi, a member of the world's fourth-largest marketing and public relations conglomerate, Publicis Groupe. It has been noted that a major Publicis client is Bacardi which has been at the forefront of financing anti-Castro groups, and whose 2001 advertising budget was just under $50 million.

Worldwide press freedom index

RWB compiles and publishes an annual ranking of countries based upon the organization's assessment of their press freedom records. Small countries, such as Malta, and Andorra, are excluded from this report. The 2005 list was published in October 2005 and is indicative only of RWB's opinion of press freedom using their in-house methodology, which is highly controversial since it relies on the subjective perceptions of undisclosed 'partner organisations'. The RWB states that these partners are researchers, jurists and human rights activists 'as determined by RWB'.

The survey asks questions about direct attacks on journalists and the media as well as other indirect sources of pressure against the free press. RWB is careful to note that the index only deals with press freedom, and does not measure the quality of journalism. Due to the nature of the survey's methodology based on individual perceptions, there are often wide contrasts in a country's ranking from year to year.

The ranking also states it takes into account pressure on journalists by non-governmental groups, for example the Basque militant group ETA in Spain. Critics have questioned RWB's methodology in ranking press freedom and the lack of direct understanding of existing laws in ranked countries.

A higher number in the ranking means more restraints on freedom of the press.

Yearly worldwide press freedom ranking of countries published by Reporters Without Borders
Rank Country Index 2005 2005 2004 2003 2002 1  Finland 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1  Iceland 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1  Norway 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1  Netherlands 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1  Denmark 0.50 0.50 1.00 3.00 1  Switzerland 0.50 0.50 2.50 4.25 1  Ireland 0.50 0.50 2.83 1.00 8  Slovakia 0.75 0.50 2.50   9  Slovenia 1.00 2.25 3.00 4.00 9  Czech Republic 1.00 3.50 2.50 11.25 11  Estonia 1.50 2.00 2.50   12  New Zealand 2.00 0.67 2.83   12  Trinidad and Tobago 2.00 2.00 1.00   12  Sweden 2.00 2.00 1.50 1.50 12  Hungary 2.00 6.00 3.33 6.50 16  Latvia 2.50 1.00 2.25   16  Austria 2.50 3.25 2.75 7.50 18  Germany 4.00 2.00 1.33 1.50 18  Belgium 4.00 4.00 1.17 3.50 18  Greece 4.00 7.00 6.00 5.00 21  Lithuania 4.50 3.00 2.83   21  Canada 4.50 3.33 1.83 0.75 23  Portugal 4.83 4.50 5.17 1.50 24  United Kingdom 5.17 6.00 4.25 6.00 25  Benin 5.50 5.50 5.25 6.00 25  Namibia 5.50 10.00 11.00 8.00 25  Cyprus (Republic of Cyprus) 5.50 22.00 20.83   28  El Salvador 5.75 6.00 6.83 8.75 29  Cape Verde 6.00 8.75 8.25 13.75 30  France 6.25 3.50 4.17 3.25 31  South Africa 6.50 5.00 3.33 7.50 31  Australia 6.50 9.50 9.25 3.50 33  Bosnia and Herzegovina 7.00 3.67 6.83 12.50 34  Jamaica 7.50 4.17 3.33   34  Mauritius 7.50 10.50 7.25 9.50 34  Republic of Korea 7.50 11.13 9.17 10.50 37  Japan 8.00 10.00 8.00 7.50 37  Mali 8.00 12.83 11.00 12.50 39  Hong Kong 8.25 7.50 11.00 4.83 40  Spain 8.33 9.00 7.67 7.75 41  Costa Rica 8.50 7.63 3.83 4.25 42  Italy 8.67 9.00 9.75 11.00 43  Macedonia 8.75 11.25 9.67   44  United States (american territory) 9.50 4.00 6.00 4.75 45  Bolivia 9.67 20.00 9.67 14.50 46  Uruguay 9.75 10.00 4.00 6.00 47  Israel 10.00 8.00 8.00 30.00 48  Bulgaria 10.25 8.00 6.50 9.75 49  Mozambique 10.50 16.25 14.00 23.50 50  Chile 11.75 10.00 6.83 6.50    Grenada   12.00     51  Dominican Republic 12.25 6.75 17.00   51  Republic of China (Taiwan) 12.25 14.25 12.00 9.00 53  Poland 12.50 6.83 6.17 7.75 53  Mongolia 12.50 19.00 18.25 24.50 53  Cyprus (TRNC) 12.50       56  Croatia 12.83 11.83 16.50 8.75 57  Niger 13.00 18.33 15.75 18.50 58  Timor-Leste 13.50 13.50 5.50   59  Argentina 13.67 21.33 15.17 12.00 60  Botswana 14.00 11.50 13.00   60  Fiji 14.00 16.00 11.50   62  Albania 14.17 11.50 6.50   63  Brazil 14.50 16.50 16.75 18.75 63  Tonga 14.50 38.17     65  Serbia and Montenegro 14.83 20.13 21.33 20.75 66  Ghana 15.00 13.50 8.75 23.00 66  Panama 15.00 14.50 9.75 15.50 68  Nicaragua 15.25 11.67 6.50   69  Paraguay 15.50 10.50 7.17 8.50 70  Romania 16.17 17.83 11.50 13.25 71  Republic of the Congo 17.00 17.50 14.00 23.17 71  Seychelles 17.00 23.50 26.75 20.75 71  Guinea-Bissau 17.00 23.50 35.25 30.25 74  Tanzania 17.50 14.50 16.50 21.25 74  Moldova 17.50 20.50 27.00   76  Honduras 18.00 11.75 14.17   76  Angola 18.00 26.50 28.00 30.17 78  Burkina Faso 19.00 16.25 18.00 27.75 78  Senegal 19.00 21.50 14.50 14.00 80  Uganda 19.25 24.00 25.75 17.00 81  Lesotho 19.50 29.50 17.75   82  Central African Republic 19.75 32.50 32.75 21.50 83  Cameroon 20.50 27.00 30.50 28.83 83  Liberia 20.50 40.00 40.00 37.75 85  Kuwait 21.25 31.67 31.33 25.50		Rank Country Index 2005 2005 2004 2003 2002 86  Guatemala 21.50 16.50 30.83 27.25 87  Ecuador 21.75 16.50 7.67 5.50 88  Comoros 22.00 26.50 18.50 20.50 89  Malawi 22.75 31.00 21.00 27.67 90  Burkina Faso 23.00 19.00 26.25 24.50 90  Venezuela 23.00 24.63 27.83 25.00 90  Zambia 23.00 29.75 23.25 26.75 90  Qatar 23.00 32.50 35.00   90  Cambodia 23.00 36.50 19.50 24.25 95  Togo 23.75 19.50 27.50 31.50 96  Jordan 24.00 39.13 37.00 33.50 97  Madagascar 24.50 18.50 8.17 22.75 98  Turkey 25.00 37.25 35.00 33.50 99  Georgia 25.17 27.50 17.33   100  United Arab Emirates 25.75 50.25 37.00   100  Serbia and Montenegro (Kosovo) 25.75       102  Armenia 26.00 23.50 25.17   102  Guinea 26.00 24.50 33.17 26.00 102  Gabon 26.00 37.50 31.25 20.50 102  Indonesia 26.00 37.75 34.25 20.00 106  India 27.00 38.50 39.00 26.50 107  Thailand 28.00 14.00 19.67 22.75 108  Lebanon 28.25 24.38 32.50 19.67 109  Kenya 30.00 22.25 18.50 24.75 109  Chad 30.00 33.25 24.00 28.75 111  Kyrgyzstan 32.00 35.25 32.00 31.75 112  Ukraine 32.50 51.00 40.00 40.00 113  Tajikistan 33.00 27.75 34.50 28.25 113  Malaysia 33.00 39.83 32.00 37.83 115  Sri Lanka 33.25 36.50 24.83 15.75 116  Peru 33.33 40.00 10.25 9.50 117  Haiti 33.50 42.13 31.00 36.50 118  Swaziland 35.00 31.00 37.50 29.00 119  Morocco 36.17 43.00 39.67 29.00 119  Kazakhstan 36.17 44.17 42.50 42.00 121  Djibouti 37.00 55.00 35.50 31.25    Israel (occupied territories)   37.50 49.00   122  Rwanda 38.00 37.25 34.25 37.50    Brunei       38.00 123  Nigeria 38.75 37.75 31.50 15.50 123  Bahrain 38.75 52.50 35.17 23.00 125  Afghanistan 39.17 28.25 40.17 35.50 126  Sierra Leone 39.50 24.50 23.50 24.50 127  Mauritania 40.00 51.00 36.67 41.33 128  Colombia 40.17 47.38 49.17 40.83 129  Algeria 40.33 43.50 33.00 31.00 130  Gambia 41.00 29.50 18.25 22.50 131  Ethiopia 42.00 37.00 37.50 37.50 132  Palestine 42.50 43.17 39.25 27.00 133  Sudan 44.00 44.25 45.75 36.00 133  Equatorial Guinea 44.00 46.25 44.75 42.75 135  Mexico 45.50 27.83 17.67 24.75 136  Yemen 46.25 48.00 41.83 34.75 137  United States (in Iraq) 48.50 36.00 41.00   138  Russia 48.67 51.38 49.50 48.00 139  Philippines 50.00 36.63 35.25 29.00 140  Singapore 50.67 57.00 47.33   141  Azerbaijan 51.00 49.67 34.50 34.50 142  Bhutan 51.50 55.83 77.33 90.75 143  Egypt 52.00 43.50 34.25 34.50 144  Côte d'Ivoire 52.25 60.38 42.17 19.00 145  Syria 55.00 67.50 67.50 62.83 146  Democratic Republic of the Congo 57.33 51.50 38.50 40.75 147  Tunisia 57.50 62.67 50.83 67.75    Oman     57.75   148  Maldives 58.50 69.17 47.50   149  Somalia 59.00 43.50 45.00   150  Pakistan 60.75 61.75 39.00 44.67 151  Bangladesh 61.25 62.50 46.50 43.75 152  Belarus 61.33 54.10 52.00 52.17 153  Zimbabwe 64.25 67.50 45.50 48.25 154  Saudi Arabia 66.00 79.17 71.50 62.50 155  Uzbekistan 66.50 52.13 61.50 45.00 155  Laos 66.50 64.33 94.83 89.00 157  Iraq 67.00 58.50 37.50 79.00 158  Vietnam 73.25 86.88 89.17 81.25 159  People's Republic of China (Mainland only) 83.00 92.33 91.25 97.00 160 Nepal 86.75 84.00 51.50 63.00 161  Cuba 87.00 106.83 97.83 90.25 162  Libya 88.75 65.00 60.00 72.50 163  Myanmar 88.83 103.63 95.50 96.83 164  Iran 89.17 78.30 89.33 48.25 165  Turkmenistan 93.50 99.83 82.83 91.50 166  Eritrea 99.75 93.25 91.50 83.67 167  Democratic People's Republic of Korea 109.00 107.50 99.50 97.50

See also

• List of indices of freedom
• Chilling effect
• Media transparency

External links

• Reporters Without Borders :: Reporters sans Frontières :: Reporteros sin Fronteras
• First worldwide press freedom index (October 2002)
• Second worldwide press freedom index (October 2003)
• Third worldwide press freedom index (October 2004)
• Fourth worldwide press freedom index (October 2005)

• The Lies of Reporters without Borders by Salim Lamrani, Réseau Voltaire, 9 September 2005.
• Reporters Without Britches Reporters Without Borders Caught with Their Pants Down, by Carolina Cositore, ZNet, 12 February 2005. Critical article about the political and financial background of Reporters Without Borders.
• Reporters Without Borders Unmasked Its Secret Deal with Otto Reich to Wreck Cuba's Economy, by Diana Barahona, Counterpunch, 17 May 2005)

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