Freedom of the Press 2010 identifies the greatest threats to independent media in 196 countries and territories. Released in advance of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, the report shows that global media freedom has declined for the eighth straight year in a row, with significant losses outnumbering gains by a 2-to-1 margin. In 2009, there were particularly worrisome trends in sub-Saharan Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East and North Africa. Below are several critical tools to highlight data from the annual index of global press freedom, and to help explain the newest findings in their historical context.
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Press Release - Read the press release detailing findings from Freedom of the Press 2010.
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2010 Charts - The charts and graphs feature global and regional breakdowns for our three categories of "Free", "Partly Free", and "Not Free."
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Tables - Tables featuring country rankings and numerical scores for the 2010 index.
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Overview Essay - Press Freedom in 2009: Broad setbacks in global media freedom gives a thorough introduction to the state of global press freedom. It details trends identified in media freedom during the 2009 calendar year and offers a snapshot of regional gains and setbacks.
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Methodology - View a description of the criteria used in the ratings process for Freedom of the Press 2010.
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Map of Press Freedom 2010 - Each year Freedom House produces a graphic representation of its country ratings in the form of the Map of Press Freedom.
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To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the index, we have produced a series of historical charts and graphs showing trend in media freedom over the past 30 years.
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Historical Maps - Using data from past reports, a series of 4 historical maps graphically demonstrate trends in media freedom over the past 30 years, at decade-long intervals.
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Historical Charts - A series of graphs show global and regional breakdowns over time, as well as major recent declines and gains.
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Pictures from the release event

Will Taft

Karin Karlekar

Frank Smyth

Chris Walker and Bob Boorstin

Chris Walker, Bob Boorstin, and Libby Liu
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