It is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted. ~ Christophe Deloire
| 2013 World Press Freedom Index | |
| Rank | Country |
| 1 – 10 | Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Andorra, Denmark, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Iceland, Sweden |
| 11 – 20 | Estonia, Austria, Jamaica, Switzerland, Ireland, Czech Republic, Germany, Costa Rica, Namibia, Canada |
| 21 – 30 | Belgium, Poland, Slovakia, Cyprus, Cape Verde, Australia, Uruguay, Portugal, United Kingdom, Ghana |
| 31 – 40 | Suriname, United States, Lithuania, OECS, Slovenia, Spain, France, El Salvador, Latvia, Botswana |
| 41 – 50 | Papua New Guinea, Romania, Niger, Trinidad and Tobago, Malta, Burkina Faso, Taiwan, Samoa, Haiti, South Korea |
| 51 – 60 | Comoros, South Africa, Japan, Argentina, Moldova, Hungary, Italy, Hong Kong, Senegal, Chile |
| 61 – 70 | Sierra Leone, Mauritius, Serbia, Croatia, Central African Republic, Tonga, Mauritania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Guyana, Tanzania |
| 71 – 80 | Kenya, Zambia, Mozambique, Armenia, Malawi, Republic of the Congo, Kuwait, Nicaragua, Benin, Dominican Republic |
| 81 – 90 | Lesotho, Bhutan, Togo, Greece, Kosovo, Guinea, Bulgaria, Madagascar, Gabon, East Timor |
| 91 – 100 | Paraguay, Guinea-Bissau, Seychelles, Northern Cyprus, Guatemala, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mongolia, Mali, Georgia |
| 101 – 110 | Lebanon, Albania, Maldives, Uganda, Peru, Kyrgyzstan, Fiji, Brazil, Bolivia, Qatar |
| 111 – 120 | Panama, Israel, Montenegro, United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Republic of Macedonia, Venezuela, Nepal, Ecuador, Cameroon |
| 121 – 130 | Chad, Brunei, Tajikistan, South Sudan, Algeria, Ukraine, Honduras, Afghanistan, Colombia, Angola |
| 131 – 140 | Libya, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Jordan, Thailand, Morocco, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Indonesia, India |
| 141 – 150 | Oman, DR Congo, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Palestine, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Iraq |
| 151 – 160 | Burma, Gambia, Mexico, Turkey, Swaziland, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Pakistan, Kazakhstan |
| 161 – 170 | Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Bahrain, Equatorial Guinea, Djibouti, Laos, Yemen, Sudan |
| 171 – 179 | Cuba, Vietnam, China, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Turkmenistan, North Korea, Eritrea |
2013 World Press Freedom Index
by Reporters Without Borders
http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2013,1054.html
After the “Arab springs” and other protest movements that prompted many rises and falls in last year’s index, the 2013 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index marks a return to a more usual configuration.
The ranking of most countries is no longer attributable to dramatic political developments. This year’s index is a better reflection of the attitudes and intentions of governments towards media freedom in the medium or long term. The same three European countries that headed the index last year hold the top three positions again this year. For the third year running, Finland has distinguished itself as the country that most respects media freedom. It is followed by the Netherlands and Norway.
Although many criteria are considered, ranging from legislation to violence against journalists, democratic countries occupy the top of the index while dictatorial countries occupy the last three positions. Again it is the same three as last year – Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea.
Japan (53rd, -31) has been affected by a lack of transparency and almost zero respect for access to information on subjects directly or indirectly related to Fukushima.