The group Reporters Without Borders ranked the United States 46th in the world for press freedom, citing the governments investigations into various newsrooms in national security cases. David Cuillier, the president of the Society of Professional Journalists, told FoxNews on Monday he agreed with the report’s findings and believes the journalism climate in the United States continues to get worse. Part of the problem, he said, is a public that, to a large extent, no longer trusts journalists and believes its acceptable for the government to intimidate reporters, hide information and threaten journalists with jail time for doing their jobs. Some Americans reading those critiques will object that terrorism is a real threat, and insist that national security and freedom of the press must be balanced. Even if you agree in principle, consider the countries that rank highest on the 2014 Press Freedom Index. Here are the top 10: Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Denmark, Iceland, New Zealand, and Sweden. Raise your hand if youre afraid to visit any of those countries. Does anyone truly believe that the way they treat the press is imperiling their security, or that America couldnt prosper even if it was as friendly to the press as Finland? Does Team Obama believe that the terrorists are going to win in Sweden, New Zealand, and Iceland because their balance is too press-freedom friendly? Take it from Lee Greenwood. Im proud to be an American because at least I know Im freer than 47th-ranked Haiti just doesnt have the same exceptionalist ring to it.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Feb 2014 19:58:08 +0000
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