Iceland ranks number one in the world in terms of freedom of the press, according to a survey conducted by Freedom House.
Iceland has previously shared the number one position with Finnland, but Finnland has fallen to second place (if any Finnish readers have any idea why this might be, feel free to jump in and say so). This is followed by Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Luxemborg, Andorra, Holland and Switzerland. The countries with the least freedom of the press are Cuba, Eritrea, Libya, Burma, Turkmenistan, and North Korea.
Jennifer Windsor, the executive director of Freedom House, noted that freedom of the press has been on the decline globally, adding, “The journalism profession today is up against the ropes and fighting to
stay alive, as pressures from governments, other powerful actors and
the global economic crisis take an enormous toll.”
Some countries, such as Guyana and the Maldives, were recognized for increasing freedom of the press, while countries such as Israel, Italy and Hong Kong have seen a drop. Also, only 17% of humanity live in countries with full freedom of the press.
Read the entire press release here.