World’s ten most censored countries revealed
Tourist destinations Cuba and Vietnam feature on the list
Eritrea, North Korea and Turkmenistan are the three most censored countries in the world, according to a new report.
The investigation by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) found that under these regimes, the media “serves as a mouthpiece of the state, and any independent journalism is conducted from exile”.
“The few foreign journalists permitted to enter are closely monitored,” adds the US-based media watchdog.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The findings are based on an analysis of what the report authors call the “blunt tactics” used by some governments to restrict free speech and freedom of the press, such as restricting internet and social media access. Other methods include “harassment and arbitrary detention, as well as sophisticated surveillance and targeted hacking”, they add.
The CPJ notes that while “conditions for journalists and press freedom in states such as Syria, Yemen, and Somalia” are “extremely difficult”, these restrictions are “not necessarily attributable solely to government censorship”.
But the committee makes no such allowances for other countries including China, Vietnam, and Iran, nor for Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has attracted global criticism over its lack of transparency in the investigation into the 2018 killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
A UN report said the murder was a “premeditated execution” masterminded by the Saudi government and called for an investigation into the alleged involvement of the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The CPJ rankings are also based on less extreme censorship measures overseen by regimes, says Al Jazeera. These include restrictions on privately owned or independent media; criminal defamation laws; restrictions on the dissemination of so-called false news; and the blocking of websites.
Joel Simon, the watchdog’s executive director, said: “The internet was supposed to make censorship obsolete, but that hasn’t happened. Many of the world’s most censored countries are highly wired, with active online communities.
“These governments combine old-style brutality with new technology, often purchased from Western companies, to stifle dissent and control the media.”
The ten most censored countries are:
- Eritrea
- North Korea
- Turkmenistan
- Saudi Arabia
- China
- Vietnam
- Iran
- Equatorial Guinea
- Belarus
- Cuba
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's energy crisis
The Explainer Already beset by a host of issues, the island nation is struggling with nationwide blackouts
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Putin's fixation with shamans
Under the Radar Secretive Russian leader, said to be fascinated with occult and pagan rituals, allegedly asked for blessing over nuclear weapons
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sweden clears final NATO hurdle with Hungary vote
Speed Read Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published