Qatar climbs up ranks in press freedom Thursday, 26 January 2012 03:57

DOHA: Qatar has received a better press freedom ranking by a renowned world media freedom group for 2011 despite most countries in the Middle East losing their earlier slots due to repressing the media in a year that saw the emergence of Arab Spring.

Qatar climbed seven slots up to 114 from 121 in 2010 in the World Press Freedom Index 2011 of the press freedom group, Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF), known as Reporters Without Borders.

And although the UAE fell from 87 to 112, it was still above Qatar in the media freedom ranking the world over with Kuwait improving its slot to 78. It is the only GCC country figuring on the list of the first 100 countries in the above index.

Bahrain, notably, lost several rungs to tumble to the 173rd slot in the index due to the crisis that unfolded in the country early last year. Its ranking in 2010 was 144.

Commenting on Qatar’s ranking, the Doha Center for Media Freedom said yesterday the country did slightly better in the latest index compared to the previous one (2010), but rued that it still remained trailing the UAE and Kuwait.

The Director of the Centre, Jan Keulen, said Qatar’s relative low ranking was due, among other things, to the absence of an up-to-date media law.

“Though there are no imprisoned journalists and no prior censorship here, self-censorship (in the local media) is widespread,” Keulen told this newspaper.

“The media sector is still awaiting a media legislation which guarantees press freedom and which is up to international standards and up to the new technological developments.”

Qatar’s low ranking shows that still a lot needs to be done to improve media freedom in the country, said Keulen.

THE PENINSULA

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