Free to Speak

NZ has been ranked 15th in a survey of press freedom around the world by Reporters Without Borders. The annual survey of 169 countries measures factors such as freedom of speech, freedom of information and diversity of media ownership. Iceland and Norway topped the list for 2007, while Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea were ranked 167th, 168th and 169th respectively. European nations held 18 of the top 20 spots, with NZ and Trinidad and Tobago proving the only exceptions. The UK was ranked 24th, Australia 28th and the US 48th.