Reporters Without Borders 2014 Press Freedom Index - Huskytalk.com

**stephen** · 02-12-14

"Reporters Without Borders" have released the 2014 press freedom index.

http://rsf.org/index2014/en-index2014.php#

The USA has fallen to number 46 in the world.

Stephen

**de100kb** · 02-12-14

it's not just the Dutch skaters

I should add: our high position on that chart isn't because of our politicians but because of our high court who frequently send new laws the politicians cooked up to the bin.

**stephen** · 02-25-14

On Democracy Now on Monday's show, Amy Goodman interviews Luke Harding, a contributor to The Guardian, about his work on his book about the NSA and Snowden. Somebody, we can only speculate who, was editing his work and deleting passages in front of his eyes as he worked.

stephen

**Richard230** · 02-25-14

If the U.S. has such a poor freedom reputation, why is it that everyone seems to want to come here?

**de100kb** · 02-25-14

Ok I'll bite: it's not everyone, just those who have a broad welfare gap compared to the 'average' citizen of the USA as pictured in the media.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relative_deprivation

Political freedom is a part of the top level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, securing a future for your offspring is on one level below that in that hierarchy (the theory it rests upon I believe is so very true) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow'...archy_of_needs

**stephen** · 02-25-14

Glenn Greenwald in "The Intercept" online has an interesting article on dirty tricks on the internet by the various spy agencies The article in question is "How Covert agents infiltrate the internet to manipulate, deceive, and destroy reputations".

Stephen

PS Luke Harding is British, I believe. Most of the NSA documents in the article were about GCHQ.

**stephen** · 02-28-14

Idaho signed an ag-gag law into effect today making it illegal to make videos or report on the goings on in the animal raising industry.

Stephen

**Roadpizza** · 02-28-14

Hmm… They ashamed of something? What happened to freedom of the Press?

**stephen** · 03-03-14

Idaho is the 7th state to sign ag-gag legislation.

Stephen

**stephen** · 03-05-14

"The News Hour" in today's show does a segment on Press Freedom. Accuracy in media is a whole separate issue.

Stephen

**stephen** · 03-12-14

http://12mars.rsf.org/2014-en

Stephen

**stephen** · 03-21-14

http://firstlook.org/theintercept/

Stephen

**stephen** · 03-26-14

http://www.democracynow.org/

Yesterday's show had an interesting interview with Ryan Shapiro an animal rights advocate. If you go to the bottom of the page on today's posting, you will find it. Today is 3/26/2014.

Stephen

**stephen** · 03-26-14

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/

This should pull up an article "Russia's independent media face crackdown".

Stephen

**stephen** · 04-14-14

Today's "Democracy Now" did their whole program on media related stories. Today is 4/14/2014.

http://www.democracynow.org/

Stephen

**stephen** · 05-01-14

Saturday May 3, 2014 is World Press Freedom Day. Check Wikipedia or search for World Press Freedom Day, United Nations.

Stephen

**MikeMike** · 05-02-14

Whoo Hooo alright, the nation I live in has jumped a point!
Mexico is now one point ahead of Iraq.
If the USA knew what was happening to human rights in its southern neighbor Mexico and the increasing push by the current federal government to restrict social media communication (placing it in the category of North Korea, China, and the like) they would be surprised. In fact, the world should know what is happening here with the slow, grinding erosion of freedoms.

**stephen** · 05-02-14

One of the 4 jailed Al Jazeera journalists in Egypt has won the Press Freedom award leading up to World Press Freedom Day on Saturday. Mohamed Fahmy is the 16th recipient. I read the article in Al Jazeera English on the Middle East page.

Stephen

PS That is a scary point you made MikeMike.

**MikeMike** · 05-02-14

Stephen, we've had 4 reporters killed here in the past year.
In one case, the guy who was convicted was released by the state government and cleared of any wrongdoing, even though the same government had convicted him.
In the latest case, the state government is merely trying to shut down the investigation and call it done with no one convicted.
The other two cases have never been solved and are closed.
The latest Mexican federal government initiative for the reform of telecommunications contains methods whereby the government can severely limit social networking, something they have been trying to do at the state level in numerous cases.
Many people who voted for the PRI party in the past presidential elections had received voucher cards that could be reimbursed for merchandise at some national chain stores. When they went to cash in the cards, many people found the cars were not valid or they had far less than the designated amount on the card available.
The election results weren't in for 6 hours before the PRI had started cheating the ones who voted them in.
Go figure.
If you really want your eyes opened regarding things here, just google Lydia Cacho and you will see one of the bravest women in journalism in the entire world, today.
Carmen Aristegui is another.
Pedro Ferriz de Con is another.
And that is about it for objective journalism here. Most coverage relies upon Notimex, it can't always be trusted. AP here is also not the reliable of international desks, either.
For the most part, the newspapers are all politically aligned. At the city and state level, the newspapers are usually totally corrupt and paid off by politicians or owned by political parties through fronts, same for some radio outlets. There are literally only about a dozen news reporters, agencies, newspapers, and radio outlets that can be trusted for any sort of objectivity. It is frightening how fast Mexico is returning to the "perfect dictatorship" of some 71 years it was until the PRI power streak was interrupted by the PAN party, first by Fox and then by Calderon.
And neither one of them were worth much, either.

**stephen** · 05-02-14

This is a list of the 10 most watched news sources in the world:

1.BBC
2.CNN
3.Fox news
4.Sky news
5.Al Jazeera
6.Al Arabiya
7.MSNBC
8.Euronews
9.NDTV This is from India
10. GEO news This is from Pakistan

Which of these do you feel are objective?

Stephen

**Roadpizza** · 05-02-14

Al Jazeera

**stephen** · 05-02-14

Same here!

Stephen

**MikeMike** · 05-02-14

Is that a trick question?
It always comes down to what the editors do. Reporters report and editors shape.
Reporters must first get access. Access has a habit of being denied to reporters who
are famous for being tough. Only the really good ones respond to restrictions with brilliant creativity to circumvent such denial of access. These are the ones the editors give more space and free rein to and they are a very small group of really good ones.
They have to be paid and then the bean counters get involved.
Hence the frightening spectre of having accountants ultimately being the masters of the universe!
Beats the lawyers being so, I guess.

**stephen** · 05-03-14

Go to "The Intercept" site to connect to The Monk Debates. Glenn Greenwald debates Michael Hayden et al.

Stephen

**MikeMike** · 05-03-14

Stephen, check out a terrific documentary called "The Tank Man". It runs about 90 mins. If you watch any part of it, check out the last 15 mins. I think you will find it interesting about how what passes for news is sometimes so far off the mark it is frightening!

**stephen** · 05-03-14

MikeMike,

Are you talking about the Frontline piece on Tiananmen Square? I have very few illusions about what passes for news. Do not get me started. After Weapons of Mass Destruction, I can not believe any American politician is taken at face value.

Stephen

PS News programs I watch regularly include:
1. Democracy Now
2. The News Hour
3. RT- The Russian news
4. France 24
5. CCTV-The Chinese News
6. NHK World-The Japanese news
7. The Korean news
8. The Ukrainian news
9. The Israel news
10. Kazakh-TV.KZ- The Kazakhstan news
11. BBC
12. DW- The German News
13. VIV4- The Vietnamese News from Hanoi
14. ERTA News- Eritrea, ETV news
15. Inside Taiwan

There are several others that I will add as they come to me. Only 1 of the above do I completely respect.
These news programs are shown on HMZ Worldwide.

**trevor** · 05-03-14

Originally Posted by Roadpizza

Al Jazeera

Yep watch it all the time well balanced (time I watch tends to be breakfast from London news room). It has stories that the main stream western news ignores and is normally quite balanced reporting which is a must admit a surprise.

Been watching a series about poverty in different countries from a child's point of view - really interesting especially the non developed countries. The USA however did not come out well compared to other western cultures like the UK.

I'm more concerned about Fox News which when I've watched it could not be called News channel. It looks like a beat up of the current American administration. Apparently Clinton is the anti-christ!

Have a go at this.......
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/05...re-from-where/

**Roadpizza** · 05-03-14

Pretty well nailed on the those points…..

**stephen** · 05-04-14

"Reporters Without Borders" released their 100 Press Heroes for World Press Freedom Day. Go to their web page to see the list.

Stephen

**stephen** · 05-09-14

In "The Intercept" today is an article by Glenn Greenwald, "Keith Alexander Unplugged: on Bush/Obama, 1.7 million stolen documents and other matters". The article is interesting, but at the end of the article, Greenwald says that on Tuesday, May 13, his new book "No Place to Hide" will be released. Also all previously unpublished NSA documents will be released online at the books website.

Stephen

**MikeMike** · 05-11-14

Stephen, I don't think it was Frontline, I believe it was Prism or something who produced it. The most striking part was the interview with a reporter who was credited with a front page story he never wrote because he wasn't there.
In short, it was "news" to him.
Very chilling how much involvement Yahoo, Cisco, Google have with censorship and jailing and executions in countries like China and their corporate attitudes when questioned.
The world really does need to know this.

**stephen** · 05-11-14

Today, Sunday 5/11/2014, Al Jazeera reported that one of the 4 jailed Al Jazeera reporters is near death. I suspect it is the reporter with the broken arm that has been denied medical treatment.

Stephen

PS Check out CCTV-The Chinese national news program. It has changed since the conflict in the Ukraine. They seem to have aligned their reporting to support Russia in the Ukraine.

**stephen** · 05-13-14

As reported in Al Arabiya's on-line news, Glenn Greenwald fears arrest or worse in Great Britain. He will exclude Great Britain from his book tour. 5/13/2014

http://www.alarabiya.net/en

stephen

PS "Democracy Now" interviews Glenn Greenwald and Snowden today, 5/13/2014.

http://www.democracynow.org/

part 2 of the Greenwald interview will be on 5/14/2014

**stephen** · 05-15-14

Correction: Above I said all NSA documents were to be released on Glenn Greenwald's web posting on his new book. It should have said some NSA documents would be released that related to his book.

Stephen

**stephen** · 05-20-14

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/

"Egypt press freedom attacked amid campaigning"

Stephen

**stephen** · 05-21-14

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/

"Five men convicted over Politkovskaya murder".

Stephen

**stephen** · 05-22-14

It is getting hard to keep up with who has who's reporters in Ukraine.

Stephen

**stephen** · 06-02-14

In today's Al Jazeera America in the US section: 6/2/2014

"Supreme Court rejects reporter's bid to keep source confidential".

Stephen

**stephen** · 06-23-14

In today's Al Jazeera America, 6/23/2014, look for an article "Journalists sentenced to at least seven years in Egyptian verdict".

One of the 3 Al Jazeera journalists, Peter Greste, is from Australia.

Stephen

**stephen** · 06-25-14

http://www.democracynow.org/

Today is 6/25/2014. Anybody interested in Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste from Australia and his 2 colleagues, should look at "#FreeAJStaff: Al Jazeera Reporter sentenced in Absentia Decries Egypt's Imprisonment of 3 Colleagues".

Stephen

**stephen** · 06-26-14

A report on the news : There are more reporters jailed in Egypt, 14 reporters, than in Syria, 12 reporters.

Stephen

**stephen** · 07-15-14

Glenn Greenwald's piece, "Newly Obtained Emails Contradict Administration Claims on Guardian Laptop Destruction" is one of several new articles available on-line in "the Intercept".

Stephen

**stephen** · 07-18-14

http://www.democracynow.org

Today, 7/18/2014, look for "Glenn Greenwald: Why did NBC Pull Veteran Reporter After He Witnessed Israeli Killing Of Gaza Kids".

Stephen

**stephen** · 07-19-14

http://www.firstlook.org/theintercept/

Ayman Mohyeldin has been sent back to Gaza by NBC.

Stephen

**stephen** · 07-24-14

In Al Jazeera English from Qatar, look for "Tehran detains three US-Iranian journalists". 7/24/2014.

Stephen

**stephen** · 07-29-14

http://www.democracynow.org

7/29/2014

Jeremy Scahill: Leaked US Terrorist Watchlist Rulebook Reveals "Global Stop and Frisk Program"

"Mass US Surveillance Targeting Journalists and Lawyers Seen as Threat to American Democracy"

These two stories are also reported in "The Intercept" on-line.

Stephen