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 , Persian: گزارشگران بدون مرز, Chinese: 无国界记者^[1]) is a Paris-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985 by current Secretary General Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman (then president of Doctors Without Borders) and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud.^[2]

Contents 1 Press freedom 2 Worldwide Press Freedom Index 3 Funding 4 Controversy and Campaigns 4.1 Robert Ménard on torture 4.2 CIA 4.3 Cuba 4.4 Haiti 4.5 Venezuela 4.6 Philippines 4.7 Gaza Strip 4.8 International Online Free Expression Day 5 Worldwide Press Freedom Index Ranking 6 References 7 See also 8 External links

[edit] Press freedom

RWB was founded in Montpellier, France in 1985. At first, the association was aimed at promoting alternative journalism, but before the failure of their project, the three founders stumbled on disagreements between themselves ^[2]. Finally, only Robert Ménard stayed and became its Secretary General. Ménard changed the NGO's aim towards freedom of press ^[2].

Reporters Without Borders states that it draws its inspiration from Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, according to which 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.^[3]

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,^[4] which was launched in September 2005. The handbook provides technical tips on how to blog anonymously and avoid censorship. It includes contributions from well-known blogger-journalists Dan Gillmor, Jay Rosen and Ethan Zuckerman.

[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 2007 list was published on 16 October 2007.

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.^[5]

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.

[edit] Funding

Some funding (19% of total) comes from North American and European governments and organisations, among them the American National Endowment for Democracy (NED).^[6][7] According to RWB president Robert Ménard, the donations from the French government account for 4,8% of RWB's budget; the total amount of governmental aid being 11% of its budget (including money from the French government, the OSCE, UNESCO and the Organisation internationale de la francophonie).^[8] Furthermore RWB receives funding from various private donors, such as the Soros Foundation and the Center for a Free Cuba.^[9] Furthermore, Saatchi & Saatchi has realized various communication campaigns of RWB for free (for instance, concerning censorship in Algeria ^[10]).

Both the NED and the Centre for a Free Cuba are funded by the US Government. However, Daniel Junqua, the vice-president of the French section of RWB (and also vice-president of the NGO Les Amis du Monde diplomatique), claims that the NED's funding does not compromise RWB's impartiality.^[8]

RSF's Chinese website credits support from Taiwan Foundation for Democracy^[11], a quasi-government organization funded by the ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs^[12].

On April 21, 2008 Le Figaro published an article on RSF's financing.

[edit] Controversy and Campaigns

[edit] Robert Ménard on torture

In an interview with France Culture, whilst speaking about the case of the kidnapped journalist Daniel Pearl, RWB president Robert Ménard discussed the use of torture.^[13] Menard told France Culture:

“

Where do we stop? Shall we accept this logic that consists of… since we could do it in some cases, ‘you kidnap, we kidnap; you mistreat, we mistreat; you torture, we torture …? What justifies…? Perhaps in order to free somebody, can we go there? It is a real question. That is real life, it is that, what François just said: we are no longer in ideas, it is war, we are no longer dealing with principals. I don’t what to think. Because this happens to Marianne Pearl, I’m not saying, I’m not saying that they made a mistake because she thought that it was appropriate to do it, that it was necessary to do that, that her husband had to be saved, she was pregnant… for the sake of the baby that was going to be born, everything was permitted. And it was absolutely necessary to save him and if it was necessary to attack a certain number of people, they had to attack a certain number of people, physically attack them, you understand, threatening them and torturing them, even though we might have to kill some. I don’t know, I am lost. Because sometimes I don’t know where you have to stop, where you have to put on the brakes. What is acceptable and what is unacceptable? And at the same time, for the families of those that were kidnapped, because many times they are the people we talk to first, in Reporters without Borders; legitimately, I, if my daughter were kidnapped there would be no limit, I tell you, I tell you, there would be no limit on torture.[14]

”

[edit] CIA

Reporters Without Borders has been criticized for supposed links to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)^[15]. The organization has denied the charge. ^[16]

[edit] Cuba

The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page.(February 2008) Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved.

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 "totalitarian" and engages in direct campaigning against Castro's regime. ^[17] RWB has been described as an "ultra-reactionary" organization by the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party, Granma.^[17]

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.^[18] 1.3% of total funding came from this source.^[19]

A Paris court (tribunal de grande instance) ordered 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" it was not given a harsher sentence.^[17][20] 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."^[21] Headed by Robert Ménard, RWB also burst into the Cuban Tourism Office in Paris on 4 April, 2003, obstructing the running of the office for nearly four hours.^[22][23] On April 24, 2003, RWB organized a demonstration outside the Cuban embassy in Paris.^[22].

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. RWB lost its UN approved NGO status for one year in July 2003 at the request of Cuba and Libya, as a result of protests against Libya receiving the chairmanship of the United Nations Human Rights Committee in Geneva, during the committee's opening session.^[24]

[edit] Haiti

The online newsletter CounterPunch criticised RWB's reporting of press freedom in Haiti during and after Jean-Bertrand Aristide's presidency, arguing that it was biased.^[25]

[edit] Venezuela

Le Monde diplomatique has criticized RWB's attitude towards Hugo Chávez's government in Venezuela, in particular during the 2002 coup attempt.^[26] In a right of reply, Robert Ménard declared that RWB had also condemned the support of RCTV to the coup attempt.^[8]

[edit] Philippines

On August 23, 2007, RWB condemned the continuing threats and violence against Philippine radio commentators who report on organized crime and corruption, following a death threat on RGMA Palawan station manager Lily Uy.^[27]On December 27, 2007, RSF appealed to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration to forthwith arrest the killers of radio broadcaster Ferdinand Lintuan, 51, the 5th journalist killed in 2007 in the Philippines. As first president of the Davao Association of Sports Journalists he was murdered in Davao City on December 24.^[28]

[edit] Gaza Strip

On January 24 RWB condemned "shots that were fired at an Israeli TV reporter and a cameraman on 15 January while in a kibbutz adjoining the border with the Gaza Strip, although they were clearly identifiable as journalists." [2] The television crew that came under attack filmed the incident.^[29]

[edit] International Online Free Expression Day

Reporters Without Borders launched the first International Online Free Expression Day on March 12, 2008 ^[30]. UNESCO, who initially had granted patronage to that event, withdrew its patronage on March 12 giving as reasons that RWB "published material concerning a number of UNESCO’s Member States, which UNESCO had not been informed of and could not endorse" and that "UNESCO’s logo was placed in such a way as to indicate the Organization’s support of the information presented." ^[31][32]

[edit] Worldwide Press Freedom Index Ranking

Yearly worldwide press freedom ranking[clarify] of countries published by Reporters Without Borders

Rank Country Index[clarify] Notes 2007 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 1  Iceland 0.75 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1  Norway 0.75 2.00 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 3  Estonia 1.00 2.00 1.50 2.00 2.50   3  Slovakia 1.00 2.50 0.75 0.50 2.50   5  Belgium 1.50 4.00 4.00 4.00 1.17 3.50 5  Finland 1.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 5  Sweden 1.50 4.00 2.00 2.00 1.50 1.50 8  Denmark 2.00 5.00 0.50 0.50 1.00 3.00 8  Republic of Ireland 2.00 0.50 0.50 0.50 2.83 1.00 8  Portugal 2.00 3.00 4.83 4.50 5.17 1.50 11  Switzerland 3.00 2.50 0.50 0.50 2.50 4.25 12  Latvia 3.50 3.00 2.50 1.00 2.25   12  Netherlands 3.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 14  Czech Republic 4.00 0.75 1.00 3.50 2.50 11.25 15  New Zealand 4.17 5.00 2.00 0.67 2.83   16  Austria 4.25 4.50 2.50 3.25 2.75 7.50 17  Hungary 4.50 3.00 2.00 6.00 3.33 6.50 18  Canada 4.88 4.50 4.50 3.33 1.83 0.75 19  Trinidad and Tobago 5.00 5.00 2.00 2.00 1.00   20  Germany 5.75 5.50 4.00 2.00 1.33 1.50 21  Costa Rica 6.50 6.67 8.50 7.63 3.83 4.25 21  Slovenia 6.50 3.00 1.00 2.25 3.00 4.00 23  Lithuania 7.00 6.50 4.50 3.00 2.83   24  United Kingdom 8.25 6.50 5.17 6.00 4.25 6.00 25  Mauritius 8.50 8.00 7.50 10.50 7.25 9.50 25  Namibia 8.50 6.00 5.50 10.00 11.00 8.00 27  Jamaica 8.63 5.50 7.50 4.17 3.33   28  Australia 8.79 9.00 6.50 9.50 9.25 3.50 29  Ghana 9.00 8.50 15.00 13.50 8.75 23.00 30  Greece 9.25 8.00 4.00 7.00 6.00 5.00 31  France 9.75 9.00 6.25 3.50 4.17 3.25 32  Republic of China (Taiwan) 10.00 10.50 12.25 14.25 12.00 9.00 33  Spain 10.25 10.00 8.33 9.00 7.67 7.75 34  Bosnia and Herzegovina 11.17 5.00 7.00 3.67 6.83 12.50 35  Italy 11.25 9.90 8.67 9.00 9.75 11.00 36  Macedonia 11.50 11.50 8.75 11.25 9.67   37  Japan 11.75 12.50 8.00 10.00 8.00 7.50 37  Uruguay 11.75 13.75 9.75 10.00 4.00 6.00    Grenada       12.00     39  Chile 12.13 11.63 11.75 10.00 6.83 6.50 39  South Korea 12.13 7.75 7.50 11.13 9.17 10.50 41  Croatia 12.50 13.00 12.83 11.83 16.50 8.75 42  Romania 12.75 14.00 16.17 17.83 11.50 13.25 43  South Africa 13.00 11.25 6.50 5.00 3.33 7.50 44  Israel (Israeli territory) 13.25 12.00 10.00 8.00 8.00 30.00 45  Cape Verde 14.00 11.50 6.00 8.75 8.25 13.75 45  Cyprus 14.00 7.50 5.50 22.00 20.83   pre-2005 data included Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus 47  Nicaragua 14.25 15.50 15.25 11.67 6.50   48  United States 14.50 13.00 9.50 4.00 6.00 4.75 49  Togo 15.17 15.00 23.75 19.50 27.50 31.50 50  Mauritania 15.50 17.50 40.00 51.00 36.67 41.33 51  Bulgaria 16.25 9.00 10.25 8.00 6.50 9.75 52  Mali 16.50 9.00 8.00 12.83 11.00 12.50 53  Benin 17.00 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.25 6.00 54  Panama 17.88 9.50 15.00 14.50 9.75 15.50 55  Tanzania 18.00 19.82 17.50 14.50 16.50 21.25 56  Ecuador 18.50 15.25 21.75 16.50 7.67 5.50 56  Poland 18.50 14.00 12.50 6.83 6.17 7.75 58 Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus 19.00 14.50 12.50 22.00 20.83   pre-2005 data included Cyprus 58  Montenegro 19.00 11.50 14.83 20.13 21.33 20.75 pre-2007 data from Serbia and Montenegro 60  Kosovo 19.75 16.00 25.75 20.13 21.33 20.75 pre-2005 data from Serbia and Montenegro 61  Hong Kong 20.00 14.00 8.25 7.50 11.00 4.83 61  Madagascar 20.00 15.00 24.50 18.50 8.17 22.75 63  Kuwait 20.17 17.00 21.25 31.67 31.33 25.50 64  El Salvador 20.20 10.00 5.75 6.00 6.83 8.75 65  United Arab Emirates 20.25 17.50 25.75 50.25 37.00   66  Georgia 20.83 21.00 25.17 27.50 17.33   67  Serbia 21.00 11.50 14.83 20.13 21.33 20.75 pre-2007 data from Serbia and Montenegro 68  Bolivia 21.50 4.50 9.67 20.00 9.67 14.50 68  Burkina Faso 21.50 16.00 19.00 16.25 18.00 27.75 68  Zambia 21.50 22.50 23.00 29.75 23.25 26.75 71  Central African Republic 22.50 14.50 19.75 32.50 32.75 21.50 72  Dominican Republic 22.75 12.75 12.25 6.75 17.00   73  Mozambique 23.00 11.50 10.50 16.25 14.00 23.50 74  Mongolia 23.40 19.25 12.50 19.00 18.25 24.50 75  Botswana 23.50 13.00 14.00 11.50 13.00   75  Haiti 23.50 19.50 33.50 42.13 31.00 36.50 77  Armenia 23.63 25.50 26.00 23.50 25.17   78  Kenya 23.75 30.25 30.00 22.25 18.50 24.75 79  Qatar 24.00 18.00 23.00 32.50 35.00   80  Republic of the Congo 24.50 17.00 17.00 17.50 14.00 23.17 81  Moldova 24.75 19.17 17.50 20.50 27.00   82  Argentina 24.83 17.30 13.67 21.33 15.17 12.00 83  Senegal 25.00 17.50 19.00 21.50 14.50 14.00 84  Brazil 25.25 17.17 14.50 16.50 16.75 18.75 85  Cambodia 25.33 27.25 23.00 36.50 19.50 24.25 85  Liberia 25.33 19.00 20.50 40.00 40.00 37.75 87  Albania 25.50 18.00 14.17 11.50 6.50   87  Honduras 25.50 14.50 18.00 11.75 14.17   87  Niger 25.50 24.50 13.00 18.33 15.75 18.50 90  Paraguay 26.10 18.25 15.50 10.50 7.17 8.50 91  Angola 26.50 21.50 18.00 26.50 28.00 30.17 92  Malawi 26.75 25.50 22.75 31.00 21.00 27.67 92  Ukraine 26.75 26.50 32.50 51.00 40.00 40.00 94  Côte d'Ivoire 27.00 25.00 52.25 60.38 42.17 19.00 94  Timor-Leste 27.00 18.50 13.50 13.50 5.50   96  Comoros 28.00 22.50 22.00 26.50 18.50 20.50 96  Uganda 28.00 29.83 19.25 24.00 25.75 17.00 98  Lebanon 28.75 27.00 28.25 24.38 32.50 19.67 99  Lesotho 29.50 16.00 19.50 29.50 17.75   100  Indonesia 30.50 26.00 26.00 37.75 34.25 20.00 101  Turkey 31.25 25.00 25.00 37.25 35.00 33.50 102  Gabon 31.50 28.50 26.00 37.50 31.25 20.50 103  Israel (extra-territorial) 32.00 47.00   37.50 49.00   104  Guatemala 33.00 21.25 21.50 16.50 30.83 27.25 104  Seychelles 33.00 24.50 17.00 23.50 26.75 20.75 106  Morocco 33.25 24.83 36.17 43.00 39.67 29.00 107  Fiji 33.50 14.00 14.00 16.00 11.50   107  Guinea 33.50 27.50 26.00 24.50 33.17 26.00 107  Guinea-Bissau 33.50 14.50 17.00 23.50 35.25 30.25 110  Kyrgyzstan 33.60 34.00 32.00 35.25 32.00 31.75 111  Cameroon 36.00 28.25 20.50 27.00 30.50 28.83 111  United States (extra-territorial) 36.00 31.50 48.50 36.00 41.00   113  Chad 36.50 35.50 30.00 33.25 24.00 28.75 114  Venezuela 36.88 29.00 23.00 24.63 27.83 25.00 115  Tajikistan 37.00 30.00 33.00 27.75 34.50 28.25 116  Bhutan 37.17 25.00 51.50 55.83 77.33 90.75 117  Peru 37.38 28.25 33.33 40.00 10.25 9.50 118  Bahrain 38.00 28.00 38.75 52.50 35.17 23.00    Brunei           38.00 119  Tonga 38.25 13.00 14.50 38.17     120  India 39.33 26.50 27.00 38.50 39.00 26.50 121  Sierra Leone 39.50 26.00 39.50 24.50 23.50 24.50 122  Jordan 40.21 27.50 24.00 39.13 37.00 33.50 123  Algeria 40.50 40.00 40.33 43.50 33.00 31.00 124  Malaysia 41.00 22.25 33.00 39.83 32.00 37.83 125  Kazakhstan 41.63 41.00 36.17 44.17 42.50 42.00 126  Colombia 42.33 44.75 40.17 47.38 49.17 40.83 127 Burundi 43.40 39.83         128  Philippines 44.75 51.00 50.00 36.63 35.25 29.00 129  Maldives 45.17 51.25 58.50 69.17 47.50   130  Gambia 48.25 54.00 41.00 29.50 18.25 22.50 131  Nigeria 49.83 32.23 38.75 37.75 31.50 15.50 132  Djibouti 50.25 33.00 37.00 55.00 35.50 31.25 133  Democratic Republic of the Congo 50.50 51.00 57.33 51.50 38.50 40.75 134  Bangladesh 53.17 48.00 61.25 62.50 46.50 43.75 135  Thailand 53.50 33.50 28.00 14.00 19.67 22.75 136  Mexico 53.63 45.83 45.50 27.83 17.67 24.75 137 Nepal 53.75 73.50 86.75 84.00 51.50 63.00 138  Swaziland 54.50 40.50 35.00 31.00 37.50 29.00 139  Azerbaijan 55.40 47.00 51.00 49.67 34.50 34.50 140  Sudan 55.75 48.13 44.00 44.25 45.75 36.00 141  Singapore 56.00 51.50 50.67 57.00 47.33   142  Afghanistan 56.50 44.25 39.17 28.25 40.17 35.50 143  Yemen 56.67 54.00 46.25 48.00 41.83 34.75 144  Russia 56.90 52.50 48.67 51.38 49.50 48.00 145  Tunisia 57.00 53.75 57.50 62.67 50.83 67.75    Oman         57.75   146  Egypt 58.00 46.25 52.00 43.50 34.25 34.50 147  Rwanda 58.88 41.00 38.00 37.25 34.25 37.50 148  Saudi Arabia 59.75 76.00 66.00 79.17 71.50 62.50 149  Zimbabwe 62.00 50.00 64.25 67.50 45.50 48.25 150  Ethiopia 63.00 75.00 42.00 37.00 37.50 37.50 151  Belarus 63.63 57.00 61.33 54.10 52.00 52.17 152  Pakistan 64.83 70.33 60.75 61.75 39.00 44.67 153  Equatorial Guinea 65.25 48.00 44.00 46.25 44.75 42.75 154  Syria 66.00 63.00 55.00 67.50 67.50 62.83 155  Libya 66.50 62.50 88.75 65.00 60.00 72.50 156  Sri Lanka 67.50 50.75 33.25 36.50 24.83 15.75 157  Iraq 67.83 66.83 67.00 58.50 37.50 79.00 158 Palestinian Authority 69.83 46.75 42.50 43.17 39.25 27.00 159  Somalia 71.50 51.25 59.00 43.50 45.00   160  Uzbekistan 74.88 71.00 66.50 52.13 61.50 45.00 161  Laos 75.00 67.50 66.50 64.33 94.83 89.00 162  Vietnam 79.25 67.25 73.25 86.88 89.17 81.25 163  People's Republic of China (mainland only) 89.00 94.00 83.00 92.33 91.25 97.00 164  Myanmar 93.75 94.75 88.83 103.63 95.50 96.83 165  Cuba 96.17 95.00 87.00 106.83 97.83 90.25 166  Iran 96.50 90.88 89.17 78.30 89.33 48.25 167  Turkmenistan 103.75 98.50 93.50 99.83 82.83 91.50 168  North Korea 108.75 109.00 109.00 107.50 99.50 97.50 169  Eritrea 114.75 97.50 99.75 93.25 91.50 83.67

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• List of indices of freedom
• Chilling effect
• Media transparency
• OSCE countries statistics
• Committee to Protect Journalists

[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.
• Reporters Without Borders. Worldwide press freedom index 2007.
• RSF Press Freedom Index: Independent Assessment or EU Propaganda?, John Rosenthal, Nov 6, 2007
• Coups d’Etat sans frontières, Le Monde, August 2002

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