NGO Reporters Sans Frontières has released the 2010 Press Freedom Index. You can find this index by clicking here. Surprisingly, given the weird goings on in the field of censorship in the island over the past year, Malta’s performance is quite good. It features in the 14th place overall – which is excellent to be honest. Which got J’accuse thinking. How exactly is the information compiled? More importantly who compiles it? By following the link you can also se the pdf documents explaining what questions were asked of each country and how the questions were scored (marked). What we do not know is what answers were given for Malta.
Before you go ballistic, we are not trying to imply that Malta is some sort of third world state with no real press freedoms but think of these points:
1) Censorship of Realtà magazine
2) Dearth of investigative journalism on TV and press
3) the absence of independent TVs
4) the strong presence of establishment points of view and barriers to the market penetration
5) lack of scrutiny of such programmes as exist (they can afford to bumble on in limbo)
6) The facility with which a politician can be classified as a pressman for the purposes of political propaganda (see JPO)
7) the weakness of the freedom of information and data protection acts
8) the farcical conditions and conditioning with which our politicians allow scrutiny of their acts (can you really investigate a politician or must you submit to the conditions for interview?)
There’s more. But it does make you wonder who is sending the info to RSF. Who exactly made Malta sound like an idyllic state where the press is performing its functions of the fourth estate and fourth guardian of democratic principles? Interesting questions no?
Related articles
- 2010 Press Freedom Index Shows Europe on Decline (pbs.org)
- Press Freedom in EU deteriorates, say Reporters Without Borders (newstatesman.com)
- Press Freedom Index: The top 10 worst countries (csmonitor.com)
- Eritrea worst offender in media muzzling: Report (calgaryherald.com)
3 replies on “Reporters Sans Frontières”
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It’s about press freedom. So:
— the Realtà and Stitching episodes wouldn’t feature.
— it’s not about the quality of journalism
So no need to go paranoid. And what do you mean with “barriers to market penetration”? Somebody putting spokes in the wheels of “J’Accuse TV”?
I agree entirely with Fausto Tramuntana’s comments on what constitutes press freedom.
What is more interesting is that Malta is in the same position as Luxembourg and Belgium and in a higher position than countries such as France, Germany and Italy. Besides one can read the questionnaire drawn up to compile the index at http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2010,1034.html