Reporters Without Borders

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Reporters Without Borders, or RWB (French: Reporters sans frontières, Spanish: Reporteros Sin Fronteras, or RSF, German: Reporter ohne Grenzen or ROG) is a Paris-based international non-governmental organization that advocates for freedom of the press. It was founded by current Secretary General Robert Menard.

Contents 1 Press freedom 2 Criticisms 2.1 Cuba 2.2 Haiti 2.3 Iraq War 3 Worldwide press freedom index 4 References 5 See also 6 External links

[edit] Press freedom

Although small in size, RWB has been recognized for the frequent issuing of reports and press releases on press freedom.

Reporters Without Borders 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. In Europe, this right is included in the 1950 Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Reporters Without Borders is a founding member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange, a virtual network of non-governmental organisations that monitors free expression violations worldwide and defends journalists, writers and others who are persecuted for exercising their right to freedom of expression.

In 2005, Reporters Without Borders 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.^[1]

Over the years, RWB has published several books to raise public awareness of threats to press freedom around the world. A recent publication is the Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents ^[2], which was launched in September 2005. The handbook provides technical tips on how to blog anonymously and avoid censorship. It includes contributions from renowned blogger-journalists Dan Gillmor, Jay Rosen and Ethan Zuckerman.

[edit] Criticisms

The impartiality of Reporters Without Borders is not universally accepted. A significant amount of funding (19% of total) comes from Western governments and organisations, among them the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a US governmental organization founded by Ronald Reagan, and which as aim to "promote democracy" in the world by financing various organisations and political parties sympathetic to the US.^[3][4][5] However, RWB has openly criticized Western countries for their treatment of reporters (e.g. the United States' occupation of Iraq).

[edit] Cuba

Tensions between Cuban authorities and RWB are high, particularly after the imprisonment in 2003 of 75 dissidents (27 journalists) by the Cuban Government, including Raúl Rivero and Oscar Elías Biscet. RWB describes the Cuban regime as a "totalitarian" country, and engages in offensive campaigns against Fidel Castro ^[6]. On the other hand, RWB has been described as an "ultrareactionary" organization by the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party, Granma ^[6].

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] 1.3% of total funding come from this source.^[3] In addition, RWB receives free publicity from Saatchi and Saatchi, a member of the world's fourth-largest marketing and public relations conglomerate, Publicis Groupe. A major Publicis client is Bacardi, which has been at the forefront of financing anti-Castro groups.^[8]

A Paris court (tribunal de grande instance) condemned RWB to pay 6.000 Euros to the daughter and heir of Alberto Korda for non-compliance with a court order of 9 July 2003 banning it from using Korda’s famous (and copyrighted) photograph of Ernesto "Che" Guevara in a beret, taken at the funeral of La Coubre victims. RWB said it was "relieved" of not having been given a harsher sentence ^[6]. The face had been superimposed by RSF with that of a May 1968 CRS anti-riot police agent, and the postcard handed out at Orly Airport in Paris to tourists boarding on flights for Cuba. Korda's daughter declared to Granma that "Reporters Without Borders" should call themselves Reporters Without Principles." ^[9]. Headed by Robert Ménard, RWB also burst into the Cuban Tourism Office in Paris, obstructing the running of the office for nearly four hours ^[9]. According to Granma, Ménard and several RWB members received prison terms in Cuba. Orlando Gutiérrez, inventor of the Cuban Democratic Office in Miami, received over one million USD from USAID (United States Agency for International Development, an agency which has been accused to be related to the CIA) to promote subversion on the island and coordinate plans with RWB, still according to Granma ^[9].

RWB claims it has been the target of hostility from the Cuban authorities since the arrest of 75 dissidents in March 2003. Cuba’s representatives have called for the withdrawal of its consultative status with the United Nations ^[6]. According to Granma, they lost in March 2003 their UN approved NGO status for one year, as a result of their uncivilized behavior during the opening session of the United Nations Human Rights Committee in Geneva ^[9].

[edit] Haiti

Cuban supporters also find RWB's reporting of press freedom in Haiti during and after Jean-Bertrand Aristide presidency suspect, arguing that it is biased due to funding from the United States.^[10]

[edit] Iraq War

Reporters Without Borders have called on the US government to free two journalists emprisoned by the US Army: Abdel Amir Yunes Hussein, of CBS TV network’s program, CBS News, has been held at the Camp Bucca prison in Iraq since April 2005, while Sami Al-Hajj, a cameraman for the pan-Arab satellite TV station Al-Jazeera, has been a prisoner in Guantanamo since 2002, after being arrested in Afghanistan in 2001.^[11] However, some critics find it questionable that this was only mentioned in 2006.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 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 2006 list was published on 24 October 2006.

The report is based on a questionnaire sent to partner organisations of Reporters Without Borders (14 freedom of expression groups in five continents) and its 130 correspondents around the world, as well as to journalists, researchers, jurists and human rights activists.^[12]

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 terrorist group ETA in Spain or the Mafia in Russia, or pressure groups that can pose a real threat to press freedom.

A higher index indicates more restraints on freedom of the press.

Yearly worldwide press freedom ranking of countries published by Reporters Without Borders
Rank Country Index 2006 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 1  Finland 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1  Iceland 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1  Republic of Ireland 0.50 0.50 0.50 2.83 1.00 1  Netherlands 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 5  Czech Republic 0.75 1.00 3.50 2.50 11.25 6  Estonia 2.00 1.50 2.00 2.50   6  Norway 2.00 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 8  Slovakia 2.50 0.75 0.50 2.50   8  Switzerland 2.50 0.50 0.50 2.50 4.25 10  Hungary 3.00 2.00 6.00 3.33 6.50 10  Latvia 3.00 2.50 1.00 2.25   10  Portugal 3.00 4.83 4.50 5.17 1.50 10  Slovenia 3.00 1.00 2.25 3.00 4.00 14  Belgium 4.00 4.00 4.00 1.17 3.50 14  Sweden 4.00 2.00 2.00 1.50 1.50 16  Austria 4.50 2.50 3.25 2.75 7.50 16  Bolivia 4.50 9.67 20.00 9.67 14.50 16  Canada 4.50 4.50 3.33 1.83 0.75 19  Bosnia and Herzegovina 5.00 7.00 3.67 6.83 12.50 19  Denmark 5.00 0.50 0.50 1.00 3.00 19  New Zealand 5.00 2.00 0.67 2.83   19  Trinidad and Tobago 5.00 2.00 2.00 1.00   23  Benin 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.25 6.00 23  Germany 5.50 4.00 2.00 1.33 1.50 23  Jamaica 5.50 7.50 4.17 3.33   26  Namibia 6.00 5.50 10.00 11.00 8.00 27  Lithuania 6.50 4.50 3.00 2.83   27  United Kingdom 6.50 5.17 6.00 4.25 6.00 29  Costa Rica 6.67 8.50 7.63 3.83 4.25 30  Cyprus (Republic of Cyprus) 7.50 5.50 22.00 20.83   31  Republic of Korea 7.75 7.50 11.13 9.17 10.50 32  Greece 8.00 4.00 7.00 6.00 5.00 32  Mauritius 8.00 7.50 10.50 7.25 9.50 34  Ghana 8.50 15.00 13.50 8.75 23.00 35  Australia 9.00 6.50 9.50 9.25 3.50 35  Bulgaria 9.00 10.25 8.00 6.50 9.75 35  France 9.00 6.25 3.50 4.17 3.25 35  Mali 9.00 8.00 12.83 11.00 12.50 39  Panama 9.50 15.00 14.50 9.75 15.50 40  Italy 9.90 8.67 9.00 9.75 11.00 41  El Salvador 10.00 5.75 6.00 6.83 8.75 41  Spain 10.00 8.33 9.00 7.67 7.75 43  Republic of China (Taiwan) 10.50 12.25 14.25 12.00 9.00 44  South Africa 11.25 6.50 5.00 3.33 7.50 45  Cape Verde 11.50 6.00 8.75 8.25 13.75 45  Republic of Macedonia 11.50 8.75 11.25 9.67   45  Mozambique 11.50 10.50 16.25 14.00 23.50 45  Serbia and Montenegro 11.50 14.83 20.13 21.33 20.75 49  Chile 11.63 11.75 10.00 6.83 6.50 50  Israel 12.00 10.00 8.00 8.00 30.00    Grenada     12.00     51  Japan 12.50 8.00 10.00 8.00 7.50 52  Dominican Republic 12.75 12.25 6.75 17.00   53  Botswana 13.00 14.00 11.50 13.00   53  Croatia 13.00 12.83 11.83 16.50 8.75 53  Tonga 13.00 14.50 38.17     53  United States (American territory) 13.00 9.50 4.00 6.00 4.75 57  Uruguay 13.75 9.75 10.00 4.00 6.00 58  Fiji 14.00 14.00 16.00 11.50   58  Hong Kong 14.00 8.25 7.50 11.00 4.83 58  Poland 14.00 12.50 6.83 6.17 7.75 58  Romania 14.00 16.17 17.83 11.50 13.25 62  Central African Republic 14.50 19.75 32.50 32.75 21.50 62 Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus 14.50 12.50   62  Guinea-Bissau 14.50 17.00 23.50 35.25 30.25 62  Honduras 14.50 18.00 11.75 14.17   66  Madagascar 15.00 24.50 18.50 8.17 22.75 66  Togo 15.00 23.75 19.50 27.50 31.50 68  Ecuador 15.25 21.75 16.50 7.67 5.50 69  Nicaragua 15.50 15.25 11.67 6.50   70  Burkina Faso 16.00 19.00 16.25 18.00 27.75 70  Kosovo 16.00 25.75       70  Lesotho 16.00 19.50 29.50 17.75   73  Republic of the Congo 17.00 17.00 17.50 14.00 23.17 73  Kuwait 17.00 21.25 31.67 31.33 25.50 75  Brazil 17.17 14.50 16.50 16.75 18.75 76  Argentina 17.30 13.67 21.33 15.17 12.00 77  Mauritania 17.50 40.00 51.00 36.67 41.33 77  Senegal 17.50 19.00 21.50 14.50 14.00 77  United Arab Emirates 17.50 25.75 50.25 37.00   80  Albania 18.00 14.17 11.50 6.50   80  Qatar 18.00 23.00 32.50 35.00   82  Paraguay 18.25 15.50 10.50 7.17 8.50 83  Timor-Leste 18.50 13.50 13.50 5.50   84  Liberia 19.00 20.50 40.00 40.00 37.75 85  Moldova 19.17 17.50 20.50 27.00		Rank Country Index 2006 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 86  Mongolia 19.25 12.50 19.00 18.25 24.50 87  Haiti 19.50 33.50 42.13 31.00 36.50 88  Tanzania 19.82 17.50 14.50 16.50 21.25 89  Georgia 21.00 25.17 27.50 17.33   90  Guatemala 21.25 21.50 16.50 30.83 27.25 91  Angola 21.50 18.00 26.50 28.00 30.17 92  Malaysia 22.25 33.00 39.83 32.00 37.83 93  Comoros 22.50 22.00 26.50 18.50 20.50 93  Zambia 22.50 23.00 29.75 23.25 26.75 95  Niger 24.50 13.00 18.33 15.75 18.50 95  Seychelles 24.50 17.00 23.50 26.75 20.75 97  Morocco 24.83 36.17 43.00 39.67 29.00 98  Bhutan 25.00 51.50 55.83 77.33 90.75 98  Côte d'Ivoire 25.00 52.25 60.38 42.17 19.00 98  Turkey 25.00 25.00 37.25 35.00 33.50 101  Armenia 25.50 26.00 23.50 25.17   101  Malawi 25.50 22.75 31.00 21.00 27.67 103  Indonesia 26.00 26.00 37.75 34.25 20.00 103  Sierra Leone 26.00 39.50 24.50 23.50 24.50 105  India 26.50 27.00 38.50 39.00 26.50 105  Ukraine 26.50 32.50 51.00 40.00 40.00 107  Lebanon 27.00 28.25 24.38 32.50 19.67 108  Cambodia 27.25 23.00 36.50 19.50 24.25 109  Guinea 27.50 26.00 24.50 33.17 26.00 109  Jordan 27.50 24.00 39.13 37.00 33.50 111  Bahrain 28.00 38.75 52.50 35.17 23.00 112  Cameroon 28.25 20.50 27.00 30.50 28.83 112  Peru 28.25 33.33 40.00 10.25 9.50 114  Gabon 28.50 26.00 37.50 31.25 20.50 115  Venezuela 29.00 23.00 24.63 27.83 25.00 116  Uganda 29.83 19.25 24.00 25.75 17.00 117  Tajikistan 30.00 33.00 27.75 34.50 28.25 118  Kenya 30.25 30.00 22.25 18.50 24.75 119  United States (extra-territorial) 31.50 48.50 36.00 41.00   120  Nigeria 32.23 38.75 37.75 31.50 15.50 121  Djibouti 33.00 37.00 55.00 35.50 31.25 122  Thailand 33.50 28.00 14.00 19.67 22.75 123  Kyrgyzstan 34.00 32.00 35.25 32.00 31.75 124  Chad 35.50 30.00 33.25 24.00 28.75    Brunei Darussalam         38.00 125 Burundi 39.83         126  Algeria 40.00 40.33 43.50 33.00 31.00 127  Swaziland 40.50 35.00 31.00 37.50 29.00 128  Kazakhstan 41.00 36.17 44.17 42.50 42.00 128  Rwanda 41.00 38.00 37.25 34.25 37.50 130  Afghanistan 44.25 39.17 28.25 40.17 35.50 131  Colombia 44.75 40.17 47.38 49.17 40.83 132  Mexico 45.83 45.50 27.83 17.67 24.75 133  Egypt 46.25 52.00 43.50 34.25 34.50 134 Palestinian Authority 46.75 42.50 43.17 39.25 27.00 135  Azerbaijan 47.00 51.00 49.67 34.50 34.50 135  Israel (extra-territorial) 47.00   37.50 49.00   137  Bangladesh 48.00 61.25 62.50 46.50 43.75 137  Equatorial Guinea 48.00 44.00 46.25 44.75 42.75 139  Sudan 48.13 44.00 44.25 45.75 36.00 140  Zimbabwe 50.00 64.25 67.50 45.50 48.25 141  Sri Lanka 50.75 33.25 36.50 24.83 15.75 142  Democratic Republic of the Congo 51.00 57.33 51.50 38.50 40.75 142  Philippines 51.00 50.00 36.63 35.25 29.00 144  Maldives 51.25 58.50 69.17 47.50   144  Somalia 51.25 59.00 43.50 45.00   146  Singapore 51.50 50.67 57.00 47.33   147  Russia 52.50 48.67 51.38 49.50 48.00 148  Tunisia 53.75 57.50 62.67 50.83 67.75 149  Gambia 54.00 41.00 29.50 18.25 22.50 149  Yemen 54.00 46.25 48.00 41.83 34.75 151  Belarus 57.00 61.33 54.10 52.00 52.17    Oman       57.75   152  Libya 62.50 88.75 65.00 60.00 72.50 153  Syria 63.00 55.00 67.50 67.50 62.83 154  Iraq 66.83 67.00 58.50 37.50 79.00 155  Vietnam 67.25 73.25 86.88 89.17 81.25 156  Laos 67.50 66.50 64.33 94.83 89.00 157  Pakistan 70.33 60.75 61.75 39.00 44.67 158  Uzbekistan 71.00 66.50 52.13 61.50 45.00 159 Nepal 73.50 86.75 84.00 51.50 63.00 160  Ethiopia 75.00 42.00 37.00 37.50 37.50 161  Saudi Arabia 76.00 66.00 79.17 71.50 62.50 162  Iran 90.88 89.17 78.30 89.33 48.25 163  People's Republic of China (Mainland only) 94.00 83.00 92.33 91.25 97.00 164  Myanmar 94.75 88.83 103.63 95.50 96.83 165  Cuba 95.00 87.00 106.83 97.83 90.25 166  Eritrea 97.50 99.75 93.25 91.50 83.67 167  Turkmenistan 98.50 93.50 99.83 82.83 91.50 168  DPR Korea 109.00 109.00 107.50 99.50 97.50

[edit] References

[edit] See also

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

[edit] External links

• Reporters Without Borders
• Reporters Without Borders. Worldwide press freedom index 2002.
• Reporters Without Borders. Worldwide press freedom index 2003.
• Reporters Without Borders. Worldwide press freedom index 2004.
• Reporters Without Borders. Worldwide press freedom index 2005;
• Reporters Without Borders. Worldwide press freedom index 2006.
• 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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