RP ranking in World Press Freedom Index drops to 156

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The ranking of the Philippines in the World Press Freedom Index has dropped to 156 this year from 122 in 2009 mainly because of the massacre of 32 journalists in Maguindanao in November last year.

“Impunity still reigns in the Philippines, despite a few murders of journalists being brought to trial,” said Vincent Brossels, Asia-Pacific coordinator of Reporters Sans Frontieres (Reporters Without Borders or RSF) which released the report.                                                                                                  

In 2008, the Philippines ranked 139th, in 2007, 128th and in 2006 143rd.

Some 178 countries were ranked in the index which measures the violations of press freedom in the world and the degree of freedom enjoyed by journalists and news organizations in each country.                                                 

RSF said, however, that the index should not be taken as an indication of the quality of the press in the countries ranked.

Northern European countries Finland, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland ranked in the top six of the index because journalists in these countries are protected from abuse.                                                                            

“These six countries set an example in the way they respect journalists and news media and protect them from judicial abuse,” RSF said.                                                                             

In the Asia-Pacific region, communist regimes are among the 15 lowest ranking countries because of censorship and repression.

These are North Korea (177), China (171), Laos (168) and Vietnam (165).  

In some Asia-Pacific countries, political violence has caused the ranking of some countries to slide down.

Thailand dropped 23 places to 153 after two journalists were killed and some 15 wounded while covering the military crackdown on the Red Shirts movement in Bangkok.

The ranking of India slipped to 122, 17 places lower because of the extreme violence in Kashmir.                     

Despite “remarkable media growth” in Indonesia, which raked 117th, it still cannot find a place in the top 100 countries because of the killing of two journalists and death threats against several others who report on the environment.        

The rankings of Taiwan (48) and South Korea (42) rose 11 and 27 places, respectively, after arrests of journalists and violence committed against them have ceased.