Freedom of the Press

Reporters Without Borders

Reporters Without Borders (RFS) is an independent, international organisation for journalists working to promote freedom of the press and free speech. Every year, they publish an index ranking the countries of the world according to the level of freedom available to journalists.

Countries are ranked using the following colour coding: good (pale yellow), fairly good (yellow), problematic (orange), bad (red), very bad (black).

Link to RFS’s world press freedom index, showing the level of press freedom in countries around the world

Task

Work together in groups of two or three.

Choose two English-speaking countries with two different colour codings. Find out more about the state of the news media in these two countries.

Here is a list of English speaking countries that you can choose from:

Here are a few questions that will help you get started:

1. Describe the colour codings and world rankings of the two countries that you have chosen. Find out why they have been given these colour codings. Look for political, military, or religious conflicts.

2. How would you describe the development of press freedom over time in the two countries? Has the situation improved or deteriorated over the past few years? How do you explain this development?

3. How would you describe the working conditions for journalists in these countries?

4. What are the main differences between the two countries? Describe their main challenges?

5. Every year, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) compiles an index showing the level of democracy in 167 countries around the world. They divide countries into four categories: full democracies, flawed democracies, hybrid regimes, and authoritarian regimes. Find out which categories your two countries belong to. Is there a correlation between the level of democracy and the level of press freedom? Link to Wikipedia: Democracy Index

Make a presentation or a short film of your findings and share it with the rest of the class.

After having shared your findings in class, discuss the following questions:

1. How would you describe freedom of speech in Norway? Has the government established any limitations on what we can say and do?

2. Does censorship and controlling the media only take place in authoritarian states, or do we also find censorship in democratic states?

3. Do you know of any recent negative developments of press freedom in specific countries around the world? What has happened in these countries that has led to the deterioration of the situation?

4. Go back to the RFS map. Which countries are marked in black? What do they have in common? How does the government control the media in these countries? And what are the dangers for journalists?

1. In December 2021, the two journalists Maria Ressa (the Philippines) and Dimitrij Muratov (Russia) were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their separate fights for freedom of expression in two countries where reporters have faced persistent attacks, harassment, and killings. How do the governments in the Philippines and Russia control the national media? And what is the situation like for journalists in these two countries?

2. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an independent, non-profit organisation that promotes press freedom worldwide. They defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal. Link to CPJ's database

Explore CPJ's database and find out:

• how many journalists have been killed, imprisoned, or gone missing since 1992

• how many journalists have been murdered by government officials or military officials (type of death / suspected source of fire).

• in which countries it is most dangerous to be a journalist.

Share your findings in class.

1. Write an expository text where you describe the state of the media and the situation for journalists around the world.

2. Why is freedom of the press so important in a democracy? Write an argumentative text where you consider the consequences of suppressing the media.

3. Use the information you found in your presentation and write a text in which you compare two English-speaking countries. What challenges do they have regarding freedom of the press? Is there a positive or a negative development? How are journalists treated in these two countries?