The change reflected the establishment of a number of new publications, the issuing of a broadcast license to a media group that is critical of the government, and the enforcement of new requirements on transparency of ownership.
Freedom House estimates annual ratings according to the survey carried out in three large categories: legal environment for media activities; political influences on availability of information and reporting, and economical impact on news content and reporting.
According to the rating, the countries are divided into three groups: free, partly free and not-free. Of the 197 countries and territories assessed during 2011, including the new country of South Sudan, a total of 66 (33.5 percent) were rated Free, 72 (36.5 percent) were rated Partly Free, and 59 (30 percent) were rated Not Free. This balance marks a shift toward the Partly Free category compared with the edition covering 2010, which featured 68 Free, 65 Partly Free, and 63 Not Free countries and territories.
The analysis found that only 14.5 percent of the world’s inhabitants lived in countries with a free press, while 45 percent had a Partly Free press and 40.5 percent lived in Not Free environments.
please see the link: http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/freedom-press-2012
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