Canada slips to 21st in Freedom of Press Index

[Goofball]

But at least we're still ahead of El Salvador, unlike another country I won't mention...



http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...International/

What do you guys think about the validity of this report? I don't really know much about their methods, and it seems that a single event can have a dramatic impact on a country's ranking.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Well looking at the reason the US slipped shows this index to be just a bunch of BS so I wouldnt worry about it.

[Ldvs]

Well looking at the reason the US slipped shows this index to be just a bunch of BS so I wouldnt worry about it.

No need to worry, indeed. Did you have a look at Reporters Without Borders' ranking? I suggest you do, really, so that you may notice how well ranked your immaculate country is for the coverage of the military operations in Iraq (you'll have to scroll down a lot though, 137th): http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=554

My post was off-topic in the thread where I posted it but now that's it on-topic I feel obliged to provide the link, just for you Gawain :
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showp...&postcount=102

[Soulforged]

Well looking at the reason the US slipped shows this index to be just a bunch of BS so I wouldnt worry about it.

I do the same when somebody tells me that my country is sinking (just kidding, different to the american actitude the pride is lost here). A bad actitude if you ask me, of course you can continue to deny statistics. Is a shame that the companies don't do the same with the "Corruption" table, so we can pass through...

Argentina rose to 59th place “because there were fewer physical attacks on journalists” and laws limiting press freedoms were relaxed, the group said.

This is a joke, the journalist here attack judges and lawyers, I say that they exercise the real power here. Forth power and still crying.

[drone]

The press isn't "free". The press is a slave to the stockholders of the various media companies. Until the money/profit motive is removed from news reporting, nothing you see or read in the news can be trusted 100%.

Oh, you meant from government.

[Wardo]

...Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Norway and the Netherlands, where “robust press freedom is alive and well.”

Robust? What is there to report in these nordic countries? Except for Ireland and Netherlands, I guess the local newspaper in Oslo would have the following headlines:

"Suicide rate drops by 10% since the EB Open Beta was released, after Norwegians got their hands on the mod, they found a reason to live again."

There's nothing to hide, there's nothing to suppress, there's no reason these countries wouldn't have a free press...

[English assassin]

The ordinals (ie rank orders) are basically meaningless. The cardinals (ie individual scores) are more interesting, if you buy into the whole idea that press freedoms can have numbers assigned to them at all that is.

Its just a bit of publicity for the idea that a free press is a good thing, no harm in that.

[Xiahou]

I'm with Gawain- this is nonsense. Judith Miller wasnt jailed for anything that she said or reported. She was jailed for refusing to testify in a criminal investigation- same thing that would happen to any one of us. The only sure way I know of to avoid testimony is to take the 5th and that didnt apply in this case.

Reporters in the US are still free to report anything they want to- thus, this report is a load. Personally, I strongly resent the notion that journalists are some priestly order that are entitled to special priveledges and legal protections just because they work for a newspaper. They are private citizens- same as you or I.

[Redleg]

LOL - like we should be concerned what reporters think is free press and what isn't. Hell some of them have problems reporting accurately.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Exactly. And it sounds like countries take hits for deaths of reporters not necessarily linked to government action.

[yesdachi]

US press freedom down but paparazzi freedom up.

I seriously question the validity of the measurement scale used for their index.

[Papewaio]

Australians... owning your Press near you!

[CBR]

Well if they really want to make an index like this then I guess there can only be one nation at #1. The differences could be very small for a nation to drop down several spots so I dont think anyone should get hung up on what the exact spot their nation is in. If USA is #44 then I would say that at least from 44 and above there are not that big problems.

But of course such an index can bring out the inner teenager in some people as its a great thing for pissing contests.

Exactly. And it sounds like countries take hits for deaths of reporters not necessarily linked to government action.

Press freedom doesnt have to do with government action only. If a country has big problems with organised crime/terrorists/guerillas etc that goes after journalists, then that does effect freedom of press too. Journalists dont really care about who fires the bullets.


CBR

[Strike For The South]

Pfft does El Salvador have super cool nukes and a death star?.....I didnt think so

[Ldvs]

Well if they really want to make an index like this then I guess there can only be one nation at #1. The differences could be very small for a nation to drop down several spots so I dont think anyone should get hung up on what the exact spot their nation is in. If USA is #44 then I would say that at least from 44 and above there are not that big problems.

Then, the USA being ranked 137th for the coverage of the operations in Iraq means that the 136 countries above (out of 167) face no big problems with press freedom? For a country boasting about its liberty and democracy there's something amiss.

[Redleg]

Then, the USA being ranked 137th for the coverage of the operations in Iraq means that the 136 countries above (out of 167) face no big problems with press freedom? For a country boasting about its liberty and democracy there's something amiss.

Not at all - this is a poll ranking based upon journalist wants and desires for the freedom of the press. Nothing amiss at all unless want wants to believe the ranking is 100% accurate. I doubt that its even very scientific in how its ran

an international media advocacy group says in an annual report.

Oh and by the way the USA is not ranked 137th according to the article

The U.S. dropped more than 20 spots to 44th place, mainly due to the imprisonment of New York Times reporter Judith Miller and judicial action that was “undermining the privacy of journalistic sources,” the statement said.

Again that shows the nature of the report. All one has to do is read why Judith Miller was sent to jail and the after story to realize that.

Edit: to fix quote tag

[Ldvs]

Oh and by the way the USA is not ranked 137th according to the article

They definitely are for the coverage in Iraq, check the ranking. Does "embedded journalists" mean something to you? I don't think a better way of controling what journalists want to say or show exists, short of censoring.

Not at all - this is a poll ranking based upon journalist wants and desires for the freedom of the press.

Since when should it be considered a bad thing?

[CBR]

Then, the USA being ranked 137th for the coverage of the operations in Iraq means that the 136 countries above (out of 167) face no big problems with press freedom? For a country boasting about its liberty and democracy there's something amiss.

Although it is definitely not good for freedom of the press to detain journalists, it is afterall happening in a semi warzone and are the actions of the US army. It is USA's responsibility but cannot be compared with USA itself as a nation.

Nothing amiss at all unless want wants to believe the ranking is 100% accurate. I doubt that its even very scientific in how its ran

I think we can discuss for ages about how to rate different events for such an index. From what I can read in the links they generally dont like journalist getting killed or imprisoned and one can hardly blame them for that.


CBR

[Azi Tohak]

But at least we're still ahead of El Salvador, unlike another country I won't mention...



http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...International/

What do you guys think about the validity of this report? I don't really know much about their methods, and it seems that a single event can have a dramatic impact on a country's ranking.

Do I hear whining? Do I hear treason? Nope!

Azi