June 24, 2013

Snowden’s Tour of the World’s Least Press-Friendly Countries


Last time we checked, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden had left Hong Kong with China’s blessing and was headed to Moscow, reportedly in transit to Cuba and finally, Ecuador. (He’s also expressed interest in getting to Iceland.) His current whereabouts are unknown. While we play “Where in the World Is Edward Snowden?,” here’s a quick look at the countries his odyssey has taken him to or may take him to, viewed through the lens of their relative records on press freedom, political liberties, and corruption, as determined by Reporters Without Borders, Freedom House, and Transparency International:

Country Reporters Without Borders press freedom ranking (1=most free, 179=least) Freedom House press freedom score (0=highest, 100=lowest) Freedom House political rights/civil liberties ratings (1=highest, 7=lowest) Transparency International corruption perceptions ranking (1=least corrupt, 174=most)
United States 32 18 1/1 19
Hong Kong 58 35 — 14
China 173 83 7/6 80
Russia 148 81 6/5 133
Cuba 171 92 7/6 58
Ecuador 119 61 3/3 118
Iceland 9 14 1/1 11

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That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

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