Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Rash of ‘Occupy’ arrests tank America’s annual press freedom score
By Stephen C. Webster
Thursday, January 26, 2012 14:48 EST
In the wide world of reporting, the nation of Finland is the very best place to be a journalist or Norway (theyre tied for first). But in the United States, press freedoms are gradually sinking into the mire, and with them, so too goes the nations placement on the annual Press Freedom Index put together by Reporters Without Borders.
Because of the numerous reporters arrested by police forces across the country during the Occupy Wall Street protests in 2011, the group said that the U.S. fell 27 places on the list over 2010. The final damage: America placed 47th overall, just under Taiwan, Comoros, South Korea and Botswana. Even Ghana, Hungary and Niger received a better rating.
It wasnt immediately clear how many journalists were harassed, abused or arrested for attempting to cover the protest movement, but reporter Josh Sterns estimates that the number was more than 50 if citizen journalists are counted among them. He noted that police, facing large crowds of angry protesters, have often decided its just easier to arrest everyone and figure out whos who later on.
These tactics led to abuses much greater than just the trampling of press freedoms, such as an instance in San Diego where 50 arrestees were forced to wait in two police buses so long that some had to urinate and defecate on themselves.http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/01/26/rash-of-occupy-arrests-tanks-americas-press-freedom-score/
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
3 replies, 851 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (2)
ReplyReply to this post
3 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Rash of ‘Occupy’ arrests tank America’s annual press freedom score (Original Post)
midnight
Jan 2012
OP
RKP5637
(67,108 posts)1. Not surprised at all. 47th might be a high spot as compared to coming years. Supression of
the press, an ominous sign for any country. Of course Fox News will receive some kind of award as fair and unbiased.
izquierdista
(11,689 posts)2. That means it's really about #83
Since America boasts that we're #1 with 37th rate health care, I figure 36 of the points in these type of rankings come from being "the richest, most powerful, most successful country in the histo..{you know the rest of the bullshit}".
There was a time when America really was #1 in the areas that counted. That wasn't all that hard after WWII, because much of the rest of the world was bombed to bits. What's really instructive is that while America maintained the #1 military in the years since WWII, they have let every measure of social progress drop down the ladder, rung by rung.
limpyhobbler
(8,244 posts)3. Not to be pessimistic but it's only going to get worse.
As people start getting even more serious about reducing inequality in America, they will start actually influencing politicians more and affecting elections.
People who have a stake in preventing change will use every tool they can to do so. And that will include increased repression of speech and the press.