Top 10 Worst Countries for Reporters

Even with improvements, restriction and imminent danger are still clear parts of the climate in Syria. From 2001 through to 2011, Syria’s Media Law allowed the state total control over print and other media, which included the power to veto reporting on certain topics. While rectified to an extent in 2011, the law still allows for restrictions in reported content and does not actually protect journalists from arrest – despite what it states. In addition, the ongoing civil war in Syria has placed countless journalists at risk, with 28 journalists said to have died in 2012 alone.

#9: Cuba

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All media outlets within Cuba are managed and controlled by the single-party government. Privately owned media outlets are strictly prohibited in Cuba, with freedom of speech and journalism only being permitted to those who avoid speaking ill of the country or its policies. In support of this ideal, Cuban law dictates that journalists can face long-term prison sentences – a noteworthy example being journalists taken captive in 2003 who were only released eight years later.

Threats of violence and arrests on political grounds are common for reporters working in Azerbaijan, to say nothing of the government’s more... extreme practices. It’s said that the state authorizes invasions of press organizations on a regular basis, in addition to concocting tax evasion charges, freezing bank accounts, and other efforts to undermine journalists. The Azerbaijani government has even conducted a crackdown on journalists, resulting in the 2014 arrest of investigative reporter Khadija Ismayilova.

Ethiopia’s lack of independent broadcasters is questionable enough, as is the tendency of the country’s only telecommunications company – the state-owned Ethio Telecom - to regularly suspend news sites. However, it becomes outright troubling for journalists when one considers the Ethiopia government’s condemnation of six anti-establishment publications for allegedly promoting terrorism, during the lead-in to the 2015 elections. Topped off with the jailing of reporters, freelance journalists and bloggers alike on terrorism charges, it appears Ethiopia isn’t a very media-friendly place to be.

#6: Iran

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According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, in 2012, Iran stood as the second-most prolific jailer of reporters. This may have to do with the state’s general banning of media that criticizes government policies or addresses the effect of international sanctions, among other topics. The government has gone as far as arresting Ali Akbar Javanfekr, adviser to the President, on the grounds that he published content that contradicted Islamic ideals.

#5: China

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Known for its prolific imprisonment of journalists, the People’s Republic of China is not shy about its desire to control media output. The government has gone as far as interrupting reporters in public, having them dragged away, and causing other inconveniences in their work. Additionally, visas are said to have been delayed purposefully to punish foreign journalists for their negative coverage of China.

From 1992 to 2015, a total of 168 reporters are confirmed to have been killed in the nation of Iraq. Things have not improved over the years, especially with the start of the Iraqi Civil War and the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIS. Aside from existing “black hole” areas from which members of the press cannot report, journalists have been threatened by kidnapping and death on a regular basis.

#3: Saudi Arabia

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There’s not being happy with criticism, and then there’s imposing laws in order to quash it. Saudi Arabia’s adoption of a press law amendment in 2011 leans towards the latter, with its broad wording punishing any media that could be seen as harming the country. The law also permits a certain number of courts to hear testimony against journalists and not challenge it, in the instance that the journalists lack a defense representative. To top it off, the Saudi Arabian government has even made efforts to suppress videos on YouTube.

It’s said that as of the end of 2012, there were 28 reporters imprisoned in the nation of Eritrea... with 9 in jail since 2001. Part of this may be tied to the fact that all media is now state-owned, with the last noted foreign correspondent expelled in 2007 and countless private media outlets shuttered six years prior. Journalists still working in Eritrea fear publishing any media critical of the nation or its policies, while others are driven to exile by the threat of jail time. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: - Mexico - Turkey - Russia - Pakistan - Egypt - Colombia

#1: North Korea

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First and most certainly foremost, all news media in North Korea is produced – and thus controlled – by the government-operated Korean Central News Agency. What makes the situation worse is how foreign journalists are handled: they are monitored by special officials, kept away from the masses, and have their phones confiscated. Factoring in the outright jailing of reporters, the control-fixated nature of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea slowly becomes clear. Do you agree with our list? What do you feel are the worst countries for reporters? For more globally oriented Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com