PARIS — Eritrea, North Korea and Turkmenistan are the world’s worst violators of media freedom, according to a list released Tuesday by the advocacy group Reporters Without Borders.
Northern European nations Iceland, Norway and Estonia were deemed the countries where journalists have the most liberty.
The worst offenders, in order, were Eritrea, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Iran, Cuba, Myanmar and China.
The United States was ranked 48th on a list of 169, gaining ground slightly for the first time since Reporters Without Borders began compiling the list five years ago. In 2002, the United States was 17th, but it has since steadily declined because of limits on journalists linked to the war in Iraq and anti-terrorism policies. Last year it was 53rd.
Repressive governments are increasingly targeting bloggers, the group said. At least 64 people are imprisoned worldwide because of what they posted on the Internet, most of them in China, which ranked 163rd.
War was a key reason for violations of media freedoms, the group said.
