Lithuania rated as having free press - Freedom House survey
As the BNS informed the Lithuanian press is seen as having one of the highest levels of free press among Eastern European and post-Soviet countries and is even ahead of counterparts in some of European Union’s (EU) old-timer countries.
According to the BNS this finding was revealed by the Global Press Freedom Survey 2008 announced by US-based NGO Freedom House, promoting global development of freedom.
BNS pointed out that as shown in the survey, Lithuania together with the Czech Republic share the second and third places ,both countries were rated 18, among Central and Eastern Europe as well as former Soviet Union countries according to freedom of press. Estonia is a leader when it comes to freedom of press in this group of countries, and received the rating of 16 in the report.
The aforementioned countries, together with slightly lower rated Hungary, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Poland, made it to the ranks of nations, which enjoy free press.
In a table containing global ratings, Lithuania together with the Czech Republic, Canada and Great Britain, all of which share the same rating, placed 25-28.
As the BNS writes according to freedom of press, Lithuania is ahead of EU old-timer France, Spain, Greece and Italy, who have also been attributed to the category of countries having free press.
Data of the survey illustrated that Finland and Iceland, both rated 9, have the highest level of free press, while Turkmenistan 96, Burma 97 and North Korea 98 are on the opposite end of the list. These countries received the last places on the list - 193-195.
Lithuania’s neighbours notorious for persecution of the press - Russia 78 and Belarus 91, were assigned to a category of countries without freedom of press, and placed 170 and 188, accordingly.
Add comment May 5, 2008
