Ammon News - AMMONNEWS – Jordan registered noticeable progress on the Press Freedom Index, according to a report by Reporters Without Borders, ranking 112 worldwide in 2009, rising 16 places from last year when it ranked 128.

On the Arab scale, Jordan came in sixth after Kuwait, ranking first, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Oman. Worldwide, Jordan was followed by Bahrain (120), Morocco (127), Algeria (141), Egypt (143), Iraq (145), Sudan (148), Tunisia (154), Libya (156), followed by the Palestinian National Authority (161), Saudi Arabia (163), Syria (165) and Yemen (167).

On the international level, Denmark came in first place, followed by Finland. Other rankings include Japan (17), Germany (18), United States of America (22), France (43), Israel (93 worldwide), Russia (153), and Iran (172). Eretria came in last place ranking (175) on the international level.

Internally, Israel ranks (93) worldwide this year, falling 47 places in the index since last year, and losing its place at the top ranking of Middle Eastern countries. The fall in ranking is caused by registered incidents of journalists’ arrests, imprisonment, deportation and military censorship of the media.

Evaluated separately on the basis of its extraterritorial actions, Israel ranked (150) worldwide, out of a total of 175 countries. According to Reporters Without Borders, the offensive against the Gaza Strip last winter, bombardment of buildings housing Palestinian media, 20 journalists being injured by Israeli military forces, and foreign journalists being denied access to the Gaza Strip during the offensive, all played a major role in Israel’s nose-dive in ranking this year.

The 2009 Press Freedom Index is the eighth annual report issued by Reporters Without Borders, which reflects press freedom violations that took place between 1 September 2008 and 31 August 2009. Journalists and media experts around the world fill out questionnaires that assess freedoms of the press in the countries surveyed.