VOA慢速英语2016--报告称全球媒体自由收缩

AS IT IS 2016-04-21 Report: Media Freedom Shrank Worldwide 报告称全球媒体自由收缩

A media rights group says leaders have developed "paranoia¹" about reporters as the world is entering a "climate of fear.”

Christophe Deloire is secretary-general of the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders. On Wednesday, he said "Numerous authorities are trying to regain² control of their countries, fearing overly open public debate."

He added new technologies permit leaders to appeal directly to the public. As a result, he said “there is a greater degree of violence against those who represent independent information.”

The report says the problems are especially serious in Latin America. It notes structural³ violence in Venezuela and Ecuador, organized crime in Honduras and a lack of punishment in Colombia.

Reporters Without Borders also says corruption⁴ in Brazil damages media freedom as does too few separate independent media in Argentina.

Best and Worst

The report rates 180 countries. Eritrea is rated the worst country for media freedom worldwide. Just above it on the list are North Korea, Turkmenistan, Syria and China. 

Finland is the top of the list for the sixth year straight. The Netherlands and Norway come in second and third.

Reporters Without Borders places the United States at number 41 on the list. The report says computer spying is a major problem in the country.

Individual countries that improved the most in the 2016 report include Tunisia. Last year it was number 96. The new report says a decrease in violence and legal action in Tunisia brought it to number 30. Ukraine also rose to number 22 from 107 because conflict has eased in the eastern part of the country.

Countries that fell the most include Tajikistan and Brunei. Both rated more than thirty positions lower than last year. Poland also fell from  29 to 47 on the list.

The report blames the drops to a rise in the repressive nature of some governments, such as those in Tajikistan, Egypt and Turkey. It also says more dangerous security situations in Libya, Yemen and Burundi have affected⁵ media freedoms in those countries. The report also blamed increasingly strong religious laws about speech, such as in Brunei, and tighter government control of state-owned media, such as in Poland.

Self-censorship

Reporters Without Borders says the obstacles to press freedom lead to self-censorship. The report also criticizes governments that are quick to suspend Internet availability to their citizens. It says the act damages media freedom.

The report says every continent has seen a decrease in media freedom over the past three years. Europe still has the freest media. Africa comes next, followed by the Americas, Asia and Eastern Europe-Central Asia. The report says North Africa and the Middle East remain the areas where reporters are most restricted in all ways.

The index measures signs of media independence, self-censorship, the rule of law, transparency and the safety of reporters.

Reporters Without Borders sends questionnaires in 20 languages to experts around the world as part of the study data. It also examines reports of abuses and acts of violence against reporters.

Words in This Story

paranoia – n. an unreasonable⁶ feeling that people are trying to harm you, do not like you, etc.?

authorities – n. people who have power to make decisions and enforce rules and laws?

degree –? n. an amount or level that can be measured or compared to another amount or level?

censorship – n. the system or practice of censoring⁷, or restricting, information in books, movies, letters, etc.?

questionnaire – n. a written set of questions that are given to people in order to collect facts or opinions about something

1 paranoia   

n.妄想狂，偏执狂；多疑症

参考例句：

• Her passion for cleanliness borders on paranoia.她的洁癖近乎偏执。
• The push for reform is also motivated by political paranoia.竞选的改革运动也受到政治偏执狂症的推动。

2 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

3 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

7 censoring   

删剪（书籍、电影等中被认为犯忌、违反道德或政治上危险的内容）( censor的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Therefore, exhibitors shall not make use of these materials before censoring. 展商在审查前不可使用这些资料。
• The company then said it would end self-censoring search results, putting it at odds with Beijing. 随后该公司表示，将停止自我审查搜索结果，从而与中国政府发生对抗。