UK/US Less Press Freedom..

than one year ago apparently.

"Britain and the United States have dropped down a league table which rates the freedom of the press across the world, it emerged today.

The UK’s slide from 19th to 28th place is partly blamed on fallout from the phone hacking scandal at the News Of The World which prompted the Leveson Inquiry into press ethics.

Researchers from watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RWB), who compiled the World Press Freedom Index, also highlighted liberal libel laws which allow claimants of any nationality to sue in its courts. Libel 'tourism' is seen as a way for the richest to clamp down on freedom of expression.

There were also concerns that the police had attempted to extract information from a number of private companies – including Blackberry – to identify looters during the London riots.

America’s performance was even worse. It dropped from 20th to 47th position on the back of heavy-handed police tactics at a string of demonstrations against corporate greed.
A number of journalists – as well as protesters – were arrested as the Occupy movement swept across the country.
Heather Blake, from RWB, described the statistics as a worrying trend."



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2092173/World-Press-Freedom-Index-2011-U-S-U-K-drop.html [countries score table on link]

Australia is one of the best countries in the world.

For what exactly? it's certainly not your beer mate.

It's one of the yellow countries, meaning satisfactory, as in not great/needs to do better/needs improvement.

The "best countries in the world" as you state, would be the ones that are pictured as white. Even then, they just have "the most press freedom", since this is what that chart is about.

It's disappointing that something like the Leveson Enquiry, which has not yet reached any conclusions, is considered a reason for dropping Britain down the league table. It's a bit like finding somebody guilty before all the evidence in a trial has been read out.

The situation vis-a-vis the NOTW phone hacking scandal is incredibly serious. News International far exceeded the norms of responsible press freedom and it is THEIR behaviour which prompted the enquiry. The government has not acted in a repressive way at all... Leveson is an appropriate response to a serious matter in my opinion.

It is right and proper that there should be a free press. That is one of the very pillars of democracy. But the press also has a duty to behave responsibly and ethically. So far Britain has always allowed the press to pretty much police itself and the Press Complaints Commission has been the watchdog which has achieved that. What anybody may think about the effectiveness of the PCC is up to them, but that is how we have so far dealt with unethical or mis-conduct by the press.

I personally would not be happy with regulation of the press. That is political interference too far. Rather, I would prefer to see those persons responsible for the hacking scandal brought to justice and if found guilty, giving harsh, punitive sentences. The message would be clear. We will not regulate you but if you behave like criminals you will be treated as such. You will not be allowed to exploit "The Freedom of the Press" as a get out for illegal or gravely unethical activity.

On the other hand, some argue that if the press cannot be trusted to police themselves, then they must be regulated to protect the public from slander or gross intrusion.

There is a very delicate balance at issue here and Leveson has to get it right. I think any judgement on that should be held back until the report of the enquiry, and it's recommendations are published.

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