Reporters Without Borders
From Free net encyclopedia
Reporters Without Borders, or RWB (French: Reporters sans frontières, Spanish: Reporteros Sin Fronteras, or RSF) is an international non-governmental organization doing research on and advocating for freedom of the press.
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Press freedom
Although small in size, RWB has been recognized for the frequent issuing of reports and press releases on press freedom. [1]
RWB states that it draws its inspiration from Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that everyone has "the right to freedom of opinion and expression" and also the right to "seek, receive and impart" information and ideas "regardless of frontiers." This has been re-affirmed by several charters and declarations around the world. In Europe, this right is included in the 1950 Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
RWB published the Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents in September 2005. The handbook provides technical tips on how to start a blog anonymously and avoid censorship. It includes contributions from renowned journalists Dan Gillmor, Jay Rosen and Ethan Zuckerman.
RWB is a member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange, a virtual network of non-governmental organisations that monitors free expression violations worldwide and campaigns to defend journalists, writers and others who are persecuted for exercising their right to freedom of expression.
In 2005, RSF shared the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought with Nigerian human rights lawyer Hauwa Ibrahim and Cuba's Ladies in White movement [2].
Criticisms
Some have questioned RWB's impartiality due to some amount of funding (19% of total) coming western capitalist governments and organisations.[3][4][5] However, it should be noted that RWB has openly criticized treatment of reporters in the United States' occupation of Iraq.
Pro-Castro groups are highly critical. Lucie Morillon, RWB's Washington representative, confirmed in an interview on 29 April 2005 that the organization receives money from the Washington-based Center for a Free Cuba ($50,000 in 2004), and that a contract with the US State Department's Special Envoy to the Western Hemisphere, Otto Reich, requires them to inform Europeans about repression against journalists in Cuba. However, the organisation has denied that its campaigning on the issue of Cuba - in declarations on radio and television, full-page ads in Parisian dailies, posters, leafletting at airports and an April 2003 occupation of the Cuban tourism office in Paris - were related to the payments. [6]. 1.3% of total funding come from this source.[7] In addition, RWB receives free publicity from Saatchi and Saatchi, a member of the world's fourth-largest marketing and public relations conglomerate, Publicis Groupe. It has been noted that a major Publicis client is Bacardi which has been at the forefront of financing anti-Castro groups.Template:Fact A judge stopped the organization from using a copyrighted image of Ernesto Che Guevara.[8] It has been described as an 'ultrareactionary' organization by the Cuban newspaper Granma.[9]
Critics have questioned RWB's methodology in ranking press freedom and the lack of direct understanding of existing laws in ranked countries.Template:Fact
Worldwide press freedom index
Image:Reporters without borders 2005 press freedom ranking.PNG RWB compiles and publishes an annual ranking of countries based upon the organization's assessment of their press freedom records. Small countries, such as Malta, and Andorra, are excluded from this report. The 2005 list was published in October 2005
The report is based on a questionnaire sent to partner organisations of Reporters Without Borders (14 freedom of expression groups in five continents) and its 130 correspondents around the world, as well as to journalists, researchers, jurists and human rights activists.
The survey asks questions about direct attacks on journalists and the media as well as other indirect sources of pressure against the free press. RWB is careful to note that the index only deals with press freedom, and does not measure the quality of journalism. Due to the nature of the survey's methodology based on individual perceptions, there are often wide contrasts in a country's ranking from year to year. The ranking also states it takes into account pressure on journalists by non-governmental groups, for example the Basque militant group ETA in Spain, or pressure groups that can pose a real threat to press freedom.
A higher number in the ranking means more restraints on freedom of the press.
Template:Reporters Without Borders/Worldwide press freedom index
See also
External links
- Reporters Without Borders :: Reporters sans Frontières :: Reporteros sin Fronteras
- First worldwide press freedom index (October 2002)
- Second worldwide press freedom index (October 2003)
- Third worldwide press freedom index (October 2004)
- Fourth worldwide press freedom index (October 2005)
- The Lies of Reporters without Borders by Salim Lamrani, Réseau Voltaire, 9 September 2005.
- Reporters Without Britches Reporters Without Borders Caught with Their Pants Down, by Carolina Cositore, ZNet, 12 February 2005. Critical article about the political and financial background of Reporters Without Borders.
- Reporters Without Borders Unmasked Its Secret Deal with Otto Reich to Wreck Cuba's Economy, by Diana Barahona, Counterpunch, 17 May 2005)
Template:Sansfrontieres Template:Lists of countriesde:Reporter ohne Grenzen es:Reporteros Sin Fronteras fr:Reporters sans frontières ko:국경없는 기자회 he:עיתונאים ללא גבולות ja:国境なき記者団 pl:Reporterzy bez granic pt:Repórteres sem Fronteiras th:รีพอร์ตเตอรส์วิทเอาต์บอร์เดอรส์ zh:无国界记者