Russia, corruption and press freedom

It is all well and good that Russia signed on with the OECD anti-bribery accord.

But, as has been shown over and over, a government’s commitment to anti-corruption is almost directly related to the independence and freedom the news media enjoys in that country. (Press freedom and corruption: A look at some data)

With that in mind, remember that Russia ranks

• 154 of 178 in the Transparency International rankings of corruption;
• 140 of 178 in press freedom by Reporters Without Borders; and
• 175 of 196 (Not Free) in the Freedom House Press Freedom report

So while Russia may have signed on to an important accord, a vital domestic resource that would normally hold the government accountable has been silenced.

Oh, by the way…

Why was there so little reporting in the USA about the OECD meeting that took place? It was the 50th anniversary of the organization. that alone should have earned a little more coverage.

About these ads