Existing comment:
The Bad News:
Libya -- Partly Free --> Not Free:
* As Libya's security situation deteriorated, journalists faced an increase in threats, kidnappings and attacks.
* Laws were used to charge journalists with defamation.
South Sudan -- Partly Free --> Not Free:
* Journalists were increasingly attacked while covering news.
* Political and ethnic unrest led to an increase in threats, attacks and arbitrary detentions of journalists by security officials.
Turkey -- Partly Free --> Not Free:
* The country remained the world's leading jailer of journalists.
* Dozens of journalists were forced from their jobs by media owners because of stories they wrote.
Ukraine -- Partly Free --> Not Free:
* Harassment and violence against journalists increased.
* Pro-government groups increased their concentration of print media ownership.
Zambia -- Partly Free --> Not Free:
* Independent news outlets and journalists faced increased harassment from the government.
* Anti-government websites were blocked.
Nauru -- Free --> Party Free:
* The government restricted press coverage of elections.
* Foreign journalists must pay a prohibitive fee to cover events in Nauru. |