<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background:white"><span lang="EN-US">Dear all,</span></p><p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background:white"><span lang="EN-US">Reporters without borders released 2013
World Press Freedom Index: ‘Dashed Hopes after Spring’. </span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US">(<a href="http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2013,1054.html">http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2013,1054.html</a>)</span></span><span lang="EN-US"><br>


<br>
</span><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;background:white"><span lang="EN-US">Download the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://fr.rsf.org/IMG/pdf/classement_2013_gb-bd.pdf" style="text-decoration:initial"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#db002e">report</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">Download the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://fr.rsf.org/IMG/jpg/2013-carte-liberte-presse_1900.jpg" style="text-decoration:initial"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#db002e">2013 world press freedom map</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;background:white"><span style="text-align:justify">After
the “Arab springs” and other protest movements that prompted many rises and
falls in last year’s index, the 2013 Reporters Without Borders World Press
Freedom Index marks a return to a more usual configuration. The ranking of most
countries is no longer attributable to dramatic political developments. This
year’s index is a better reflection of the attitudes and intentions of
governments towards media freedom in the medium or long term.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">The
same three European countries that headed the index last year hold the top
three positions again this year. For the third year running,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Finland</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>has distinguished itself as the
country that most respects media freedom. It is followed by the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Netherlands</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Norway</strong>.
Although many criteria are considered, ranging from legislation to violence
against journalists, democratic countries occupy the top of the index while
dictatorial countries occupy the last three positions. Again it is the same
three as last year –<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Turkmenistan</strong>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>North Korea</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Eritrea</strong>.</span></p>



<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">“The
Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders does not take direct
account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies
provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate
news and information than countries where human rights are flouted,” Reporters
Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire said. “In dictatorships,
news providers and their families are exposed to ruthless reprisals, while in
democracies news providers have to cope with the media’s economic crises and
conflicts of interest. While their situation is not always comparable, we
should pay tribute to all those who resist pressure whether it is aggressively
focused or diffuse.”</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">Coinciding
with the release of its 2013 Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders is
for the first time publishing an annual global “indicator” of worldwide media
freedom. This new analytic tool measures the overall level of freedom of
information in the world and the performance of the world’s governments in
their entirety as regards this key freedom In view of the emergence of new
technologies and the interdependence of governments and peoples, the freedom to
produce and circulate news and information needs to be evaluated at the
planetary as well as national level. Today, in 2013, the media freedom
“indicator” stands at 3395, a point of reference for the years to come.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">The
indicator can also be broken down by region and, by means of weighting based on
the population of each region, can be used to produce a score from zero to 100
in which zero represents total respect for media freedom. This produces a score
of 17.5 for Europe, 30.0 for the Americas, 34.3 for Africa, 42.2 for
Asia-Pacific and 45.3 for the former Soviet republics. Despite the Arab
springs, the Middle East and North Africa region comes last with 48.5.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">The
high number of journalists and netizens killed in the course of their work in
2012 (the deadliest year ever registered by Reporters Without Borders in its
annual roundup), naturally had a significant impact on the ranking of the
countries where these murders took place, above all<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Somalia</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(175th, -11),<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Syria</strong>(176th, 0),<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Mexico</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(153rd, -4) and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Pakistan</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(159th, -8).</span></p>



<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><strong><span lang="EN-US">From top to bottom</span></strong><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">The
Nordic countries have again demonstrated their ability to maintain an optimal
environment for news providers.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Finland</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(1er, 0),<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Netherlands</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(2nd, +1) and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Norway</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(3rd, -2) have held on to the first
three places.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Canada</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(20th, -10) only just avoided dropping
out of the top 20.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Andorra</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(5th) and<strong>Liechtenstein</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(7th) have entered the index for the
first time just behind the three leaders.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">At
the other end of the index, the same three countries as ever – Turkmenistan,
North Korea and Eritrea – occupy the last three places in the index. Kim
Jong-un’s arrival at the head of the Hermit Kingdom has not in any way changed
the regime’s absolute control of news and information.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Eritrea</strong>(179th, 0),
which was<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://en.rsf.org/eritrea-what-really-happened-at-asmara-s-24-01-2013,43947.html" style="text-decoration:initial"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#db002e">recently shaken by a brief mutiny
by soldiers at the information ministry</span></a><span lang="EN-US">, continues to be a vast open
prison for its people and lets journalists die in detention. Despite its
reformist discourse, the Turkmen regime has not yielded an inch of its
totalitarian control of the media.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">For
the second year running, the bottom three countries are immediately preceded by<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Syria</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(176th, 0), where a deadly information
war is being waged, and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Somalia</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(175th, -11), which has had a deadly
year for journalists.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Iran</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(174th, +1),<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>China</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(173rd, +1),<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Vietnam</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(unchanged at 172nd),<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Cuba</strong>(171st, -4),<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Sudan</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(170th, 0) and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Yemen</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(169th, +2) complete the list of the
ten countries that respect media freedom least. Not content with imprisoning
journalists and netizens,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://en.rsf.org/iran-threats-against-media-workers-and-09-01-2013,43883.html" style="text-decoration:initial"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#db002e">Iran also harasses the relatives
of journalists</span></a><span lang="EN-US">, including the relatives of those who are abroad.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><strong><span lang="EN-US">Big rises...</span></strong><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><strong><span lang="EN-US">Malawi</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">(75th, +71) registered
the biggest leap in the index, almost returning to the position it held before
the excesses at the end of the Mutharika administration.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Côte d’Ivoire</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(96th, +63), which is emerging from
the post-electoral crisis between the supporters of Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane
Ouattara, has also soared, attaining its best position since 2003.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Burma</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(151st, +18) continued the ascent
begun in last year’s index. Previously, it had been in the bottom 15 every year
since 2002 but now, thanks to the Burmese spring’s unprecedented reforms, it
has reached its best-ever position. <strong>Afghanistan</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(128th, +22) also registered a
significant rise thanks to the fact that no journalists are in prison. It is
nonetheless facing many challenges, especially with the withdrawal of foreign
troops.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><strong><span lang="EN-US">...and big falls</span></strong><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><strong><span lang="EN-US">Mali</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">(99th, -74) registered
the biggest fall in the index as a result of all the turmoil in 2012. The
military coup in Bamako on 22 March and the north’s takeover by armed Islamists
and Tuareg separatists exposed the media in the north to censorship and
violence.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Tanzania</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(70th, -36) sank more than 30 places
because, in the space of four months, a journalist was killed while covering a
demonstration and another was murdered.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">Buffeted
by social and economic protests, the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Sultanate
of Oman</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(141st) sank 24
places, the biggest fall in the Middle East and North Africa in 2012. Some 50
netizens and bloggers were prosecuted on lèse majesté or cyber-crime charges in
2012. No fewer than 28 were convicted in December alone, in trials that
trampled on defence rights.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">Journalists
in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Israel</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(112th, -20) enjoy real freedom of
expression despite the existence of military censorship but the country fell in
the index because of the Israeli military’s targeting of journalists in the
Palestinian Territories.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">In
Asia,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Japan</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(53rd, -31) has been affected by a
lack of transparency and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://en.rsf.org/japon-journalists-barred-from-anti-06-11-2012,43640.html" style="text-decoration:initial"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#db002e">almost zero respect for access to
information</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">on subjects directly or
indirectly related to Fukushima. This sharp fall should sound an alarm.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Malaysia</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(145th, -23) has fallen to its
lowest-ever position because<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://en.rsf.org/malaisie-media-freedom-in-malaysia-is-far-15-05-2012,42628.html" style="text-decoration:initial"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#db002e">access to information is becoming
more and more limited</span></a><span lang="EN-US">. The same situation prevails in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Cambodia</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(143rd, -26), where authoritarianism
and censorship are on the increase.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Macedonia</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(116th, -22) has also fallen more than
20 places following the arbitrary withdrawal of media licences and
deterioration in the environment for journalists.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><strong><span lang="EN-US">Varied impact of major protest movements</span></strong><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>



<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">Last
year’s index was marked by the Arab spring’s major news developments and the
heavy price paid by those covering the protest movements. A range of scenarios
has been seen in 2012, including countries such as<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Tunisia</strong>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Egypt</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Libya</strong>,
where regime change has taken place, countries such as Syria and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Bahrain</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>where uprisings and the resulting
repression are still ongoing, and countries such as <strong>Morocco</strong>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Algeria</strong>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Oman</strong>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Jordan</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Saudi
Arabia</strong>, where the authorities have used promises and compromise to
defuse calls for political and/or social and economic change.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">Some
of the new governments spawned by these protests movements have turned on the
journalists and netizens who covered these movements’ demands and aspirations
for more freedom. With legal voids, arbitrary appointments of state media
chiefs, physical attacks, trials and a lack of transparency,<strong>Tunisia</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(138th, -4) and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Egypt</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(158th, +8) have remained at a
deplorable level in the index and have highlighted the stumbling blocks that<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Libya</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(131st, +23) should avoid in order to
maintain its transition to a free press.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">The
deadliest country for journalists in 2012 was<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Syria</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(176th, 0), where journalists and
netizens are the victims of an information war waged by both the Assad regime,
which stops at nothing in order to crack down and impose a news blackout, and
by opposition factions that are increasingly intolerant of dissent. In<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Bahrain</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(165th, +8) the repression let up
slightly, while in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Yemen</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(169th, +2) the prospects continue to
be disturbing despite a change of government.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Oman</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(141st, -24) fell sharply because of a
wave of arrests of netizens.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">Other
countries hit by protests saw changes for the better and worse.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Vietnam</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(172nd, 0) failed to recover the six
places it lost in the previous index. The world’s second biggest prison for
netizens, it has remained in the bottom ten.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Uganda</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(104th, +35) has recovered a more
appropriate position although it has not gone back to where it was before
cracking down on protests in 2011.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Azerbaijan</strong>(156th,
+6) and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Belarus</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(157th, +11) both fell last year after
using violence to suppress opposition demonstrations and this year they just moved
back towards their appalling former positions.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Chile</strong>(60th, +20) is
beginning to recover after plummeting 33 places to 80th in last year’s index.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><strong><span lang="EN-US">Political instability puts journalists in the eye of the storm</span></strong><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>



<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">Political
instability often has a divisive effect on the media and makes it very
difficult to produce independently-reported news and information. In such
situations, threats and physical attacks on journalists and staff purges are
common.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Maldives</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(103rd, -30) fell sharply after the
president’s removal in an alleged coup,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://en.rsf.org/maldives-international-community-s-13-02-2012,41858.html" style="text-decoration:initial"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#db002e">followed by threats and attacks
on journalists</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">regarded as his
supporters. In<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Paraguay</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(91st, -11), the president’s removal
in a parliamentary “coup” on 22 June 2012 had a big impact on state-owned
broadcasting, with a wave of arbitrary dismissals against a backdrop of unfair
frequency allocation.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Guinea-Bissau</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(92nd, -17) fell sharply because the
army overthrew the government between the first and second rounds of a
presidential election and imposed military censorship on the media. In<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Mali</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(99th, -74), a military coup fuelled
tension, many journalists were physically attacked in the capital and the army
now controls the state-owned media. This index does not reflect the January
2013 turmoil in the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Central
African Republic</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(65th,
-3) but its impact on media freedom is already a source of extreme concern.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><strong><span lang="EN-US">“Regional models” found wanting</span></strong><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>



<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">In
almost all parts of the world, influential countries that are regarded as
“regional models” have fallen in the index.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Brazil</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(108th, -9), South America’s economic
engine, continued last year’s fall because five journalists were killed in 2012
and because of persistent problems affecting media pluralism. In Asia,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>India</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(140th, -9) is at its lowest since
2002 because of increasing impunity for violence against journalists and
because Internet censorship continues to grow.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>China</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(173rd, +1) shows no sign of
improving. Its prisons still hold many journalists and netizens, while
increasingly unpopular Internet censorship continues to be a major obstacle to
access to information.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">In
Eastern Europe,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Russia</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(148th, -6) has fallen again because,
since Vladimir Putin’s return to the presidency,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://en.rsf.org/russia-internet-access-barred-as-wave-of-01-11-2012,43627.html" style="text-decoration:initial"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#db002e">repression has been stepped up</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">in response to an unprecedented wave of opposition protests. The country
also continues to be marked by the unacceptable failure to punish all those who
have murdered or attacked journalists. The political importance of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Turkey</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(154th, -6) has grown even more
because of the armed conflict in neighbouring Syria but it has again fallen in
the index. It is currently<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://en.rsf.org/turkey-turkey-world-s-biggest-prison-for-19-12-2012,43816.html" style="text-decoration:initial"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#db002e">the world’s biggest prison for
journalists</span></a><span lang="EN-US">, especially those who express views critical of the authorities on the
Kurdish issue. There is no comparison with<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>South
Africa</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(52nd, -10),
where freedom of information is a reality. It still has a respectable ranking
but it has been slipping steadily in the index and, for the first time, is no
longer in the top 50. Investigative journalism is threatened by the Protection
of State Information Bill.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><strong><span lang="EN-US">Democracies that stall or go into reverse</span></strong><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>



<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US">The
situation is unchanged for much of the European Union. Sixteen of its members
are still in the top 30. But the European model is unravelling. The bad
legislation seen in 2011 continued, especially in<strong>Italy</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(57th, +4), where<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://en.rsf.org/italy-senate-wants-to-keep-threat-of-25-11-2012,43725.html" style="text-decoration:initial"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#db002e">defamation has yet to be
decriminalized</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">and state agencies make
dangerous use of gag laws.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Hungary</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(56th, -16) is still paying the price
of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://en.rsf.org/hongrie-hungary-s-media-law-is-08-03-2011,39721.html" style="text-decoration:initial"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#db002e">its repressive legislative
reforms</span></a><span lang="EN-US">, which had a major impact on the way journalists work. But<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><strong><a href="http://en.rsf.org/IMG/pdf/rwb_greece_2011_bd2.pdf" style="text-decoration:initial"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#db002e">Greece</span></a></strong><span lang="EN-US">’s dramatic fall (84th,
-14) is even more disturbing. The social and professional environment for its
journalists, who are exposed to public condemnation and violence from both
extremist groups and the police, is disastrous.</span></p>

<p class="para" style="margin-bottom:8.2pt;text-align:justify;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><strong><span lang="EN-US">Japan</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">(53rd, -31) plummeted
because of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="https://www.wefightcensorship.org/censored/japan-freelance-journalist-sued-over-nuclear-industry-articlehtml.html" style="text-decoration:initial"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#db002e">censorship of nuclear industry
coverage</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">and its failure to
reform the “kisha club” system. This is an alarming fall for a country that
usually has a good ranking.<strong>Argentina</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(54th, -7) fell amid growing tension
between the government and certain privately-owned media about a new law
regulating the broadcast media.</span></p><div><br></div><div><br></div>Kind regards,<div>Narine Khachatryan<br><div><br></div><div> </div>
</div>