DUSHANBE, May 2, 2013, Asia-Plus – The report, Freedom of the Press 2013, released by Freedom House on May 1, has ranked Tajikistan among the countries having “not free” media.
The Freedom of the Press index is an annual survey of media independence that assesses the degree of print, broadcast, and internet freedom throughout the world. It provides numerical rankings and rates each country”s media as “Free,” “Partly Free,” or “Not Free.” Individual country narratives examine the legal environment for the media, political pressures that influence reporting, and economic factors that affect access to information.
The findings are widely used by governments, international organizations, academics, and the news media in many countries. Countries are given a total score from 0 (best) to 100 (worst) on the basis of a set of 23 methodology questions divided into three subcategories: legal environment, political environment, and the economic environment. Assigning numerical points allows for comparative analysis among the countries surveyed and facilitates an examination of trends over time. Countries scoring 0 to 30 are regarded as having “Free” media; 31 to 60, “Partly Free” media; and 61 to 100, “Not Free” media. The ratings and reports included in each annual report cover events that took place during the previous year, for example Freedom of the Press 2013 covers events that took place between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012.
Of the 197 countries and territories assessed during 2012, a total of 63 (32 percent) were rated Free, 70 (36 percent) were rated Partly Free, and 64 (32 percent) were rated Not Free. The analysis found that less than 14 percent of the world’s inhabitants lived in countries with a Free press, while 43 percent had a Partly Free press and 43 percent lived in Not Free environments.
According to the report, the percentage of the world’s population living in societies with a fully free press has fallen to its lowest level in over a decade.
Tajikistan with 79 scores was rated Not Free.
Of Central Asia’s nations, only Kyrgyzstan was ranked among the “Partly Free” countries (69th). Kazakhstan was downgraded to the Not Free category.
The world’s eight worst-rated countries are Belarus, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. In these states, independent media are either nonexistent or barely able to operate, the press acts as a mouthpiece for the regime, citizens’ access to unbiased information is severely limited, and dissent is crushed through imprisonment, torture, and other forms of repression.
Freedom House is a U.S.-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights. Freedom House was founded in October 1941, and Wendell Willkie and Eleanor Roosevelt served as its first honorary chairpersons. It describes itself as a “clear voice for democracy and freedom around the world.”
