http://reason.com/blog/2014/02/12/us-slides-13-spots-on-press-freedom-inde The U.S, isn't the only backslider on the Index. France and the U.K. also lost position, though not by as much as the U.S. The European Union, as a whole, is suffering because "Membership negotiations are no longer necessarily accompanied by efforts to increase respect for civil liberties." As a result, several governments have taken advantage of a lack of outside pressure to crck down internally. By contrast, Finland, the Netherlands, and Norway top the Index in first, second, and third places respectively. Of Finland, the Index notes the first-place ranking despite rarely enforced laws that criminalize defamation, including potential imprisonment of journalists, in certain circumstances. For perpetual complainers about "corporate news," the index also notes that, even though three companies dominate Finland's media, "there is a great deal of media pluralism despite the concentrated ownership." Turkmenistan, North Korea, and Eritrea do a swell job of anchoring the last three places on the Index. </blockquote>
Social democracy, tinged with "socialism", wins again. Less inequality, higher social mobility, universal healthcare, more control over their natural resources, etc. And now, more freedom. Dang.
press freedom..long ago maybe..not since they had to have 'secrets' in DC...the State has only gotten better at hiding and covering up the truth. (we had 'enemies' to learn 'truth control' from for a few decades...oh wait, nope, we don't do that, DC said so, so it must be true...)