Eritrea ranks as the world's most censored nations, according to the annual roster issued today by the Committee to Protect Journalists. North Korea trails the African nations.
Both countries ban the Internet and restrict the activity of foreign journalists, if they are indeed allowed into the state.
Eritrea president Isaias Afewerki has crushed independent media, creating an environment so hostile that even reporters at state-owned outlets live in constant fear of arrest, according to CPJ.
Many journalists opt for exile for fear of arrest .Eritrea holds the dubious distinction of being the top jailer of journalists with 23 of them in the slammer.
Though North Korea allowed the Associated Press to open a bureau in Pyongyang, CPJ noted a wire service newsreel was re-edited to remove leader Kim Jong Un's disgraced uncle from the archives after his execution.
Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Iran, China, Myanmar and China round out the Top Ten list.
"Technology has enabled the spread of information as never before, but old-fashioned censorship is alive and well in the countries highlighted on this list of shame," said Joel Simon, CPJ executive director, via a statement.
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