Freedom of the Press 2011 identifies the greatest threats to independent media in 196 countries and territories. Released on May 2 as part of the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day celebration in Washington, D.C., the report shows that global media freedom has reached a new low point, contributing to an environment in which only one in every six people live in countries with a Free press. In 2010, there were particularly worrisome trends in the Middle East and the Americas, while improvements were noted in sub-Saharan Africa. Below are several critical tools to highlight data from the annual index of global press freedom, and to help explain the newest findings in their historical context.
| Press Release – Read the press release detailing findings from Freedom of the Press 2011. | |
| 2011 Charts – The charts and graphs feature global and regional breakdowns for our three categories of “Free”, “Partly Free”, and “Not Free.” |
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| Tables – Tables featuring country rankings and numerical scores for the 2011 index. | |
| Overview Essay – Press Freedom in 2010: Signs of Change amid Repressiongives a thorough introduction to the state of global press freedom. It details trends identified in media freedom during the 2010 calendar year and offers a snapshot of regional gains and setbacks. | |
| Methodology – View a description of the criteria used in the ratings process forFreedom of the Press 2011. | |
| Map of Press Freedom 2011 – Each year Freedom House produces a graphic representation of its country ratings in the form of the Map of Press Freedom. |
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| Press freedom over time: | |
| Historical Maps – Using data from past reports, a series of 4 historical maps graphically demonstrate trends in media freedom over the past 30 years, at decade-long intervals. | |
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