Zimbabwe ranked 117 on Press freedom

Zimbabwe has been ranked 117, on Press freedom in the world, improving by six notches from 2010, despite constant arrests of media practitioners last year, according to a report released by Reporters Without Borders.

Zimbabwe is tied on position 117 together with Cambodia, Fiji, Oman and Venezuela.

The international journalistic body ranked Finland and Norway as the most democratic, coming first and second respectively, while Eritria (179) and North Korea (178) were ranked the worst.

Zimbabwe last year had cases where The Standard editor Nevanji Madanhire and reporter Nqaba Matshazi were arrested, while this year two Daily News journalists, reporter Xolisani Ncube and photographer Anne Mpalume, were arrested together with journalists from The Herald.

Zimbabwe Union of Journalists president Dumisani Sibanda said while the licensing of new newspapers had opened up media space, there were still constraints to do with "freeing the airwaves" and the continued existence of legislation that seemed calculated to "muzzle the Press."

The Press Freedom Index is an annual ranking of countries compiled and published by Reporters Without Borders, based on the organisation's assessment of their Press freedom record.