By Wendy Anders

In its 2016 global report of 180 countries, Reporters Without Borders ranked Costa Rica 6th highest for freedom of information, topping the Americas.

This is the highest ranking Costa Rica has received for the free practice of journalism since 2002, reported the Costa Rican government’s press office, and the first time Costa Rica has made it to the world’s top ten list.

Trailing Costa Rica this year in the Americas is Jamaica, ranked 10th worldwide, and Canada, in 18th place.

Reporters Without Borders’ global index assesses countries’ overall performance on press freedom. Through a questionnaire on pluralism, media independence, the environment in which journalists work, the country’s legal framework, transparency, and the quality of infrastructure needed to do their work. Added to this information, the group also considers each country’s record of attacks on journalists.

Costa Rica’s rise in rankings was described as very satisfactory by the Minister of Communication Mauricio Herrera, who emphasized President Luis Guillermo Solís’ efforts to promote changes to strengthen free exercise of the press.

Minister Herrera explained that legislation to promote greater access to public information and increased transparency in public institutions has been introduced, and clear limits are being set on state advertising so that it is not used as a reward or punishment for media’s reporting. In addition, the legislature is discussing reforms to the country’s criminal code to protect citizens who file complaints of public interest, said Herrera.