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Worst for Press Freedom: North Korea:
Why North Korea's Press is the Least Free in the World:
North Korea is home to one of the world's most repressive regimes. All media outlets are run by the state, and journalists serve as mouthpieces for the ruling Workers' Party. North Koreans caught listening to foreign news broadcasts risk harsh punishments, including forced labor and execution.
About one in 10 North Koreans own a government-monitored cellphone, but authorities block global internet access. Three North Korean women were executed for using unregistered cellphones to distribute copies of a banned South Korean soap opera in 2015.
Thousands of North Korean soldiers participated in a military parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party in 2015.
In 2016, South Korea used loudspeakers to blast pro-democracy propaganda across the border after North Korea claimed it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.
Foreign Media Forbidden:
State-owned news outlets dominate North Korea's media scene, including Rodong Simmun, the newspaper of the ruling Workers' Party, and Korean Central TV. Internet access is rare and strictly controlled. Foreign media is forbidden but is smuggled into the country on DVDs and thumb drives.
A Secretive State:
Getting news out of North Korea is challenging. Foreign journalists routinely have their cellphones seized upon arrival and are constantly monitored and prevented from talking to people on the street. But journalists manage to reveal news about life under the regime in both sanctioned and undercover methods.
In 2015, ABC News offered an immersive -- though filtered -- glimpse of North Korea with this 360-degree virtual reality tour of the isolated state. Government agents limited the news team's access and intersections with North Koreans. |