Reporters Without Borders lambasted the lockdown on press freedoms in North Korea, ranked second worst worldwide.
"Ranked just one place behind Eritrea, hellish totalitarian North Korea has shown no improvement. To the contrary: in a succession framework set up by Kim Jong-il in favor of his son, crackdowns have become even harsher," according to the Index.
Reporters Without Borders has in the past said "the totalitarian regime in North Korea keeps its people in a state of ignorance through tight control of the media." According to the BBC, "ordinary North Koreans caught listening to foreign broadcasts risk harsh punishments, such as forced labour. The authorities attempt to jam foreign-based and dissident radio stations."
It ranks with Asia’s three other Communist regimes of China, Vietnam, and Laos among the 15 lowest-ranked countries in the 2010 World Press Freedom Index.
