5 Ways to Start Getting Social with Your Career - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 5 Ways to Start Getting Social with Your Career - Introvert Whisperer 5 Ways to Start Getting Social with Your Career   The workforce is highly competitive in any profession and at any age. In order to stand out from the crowd and progress in your field, you must adopt practices that showcase your knowledge and unique abilities. The best way to do this is by being social, both online and in person. Guaranteed Removals, a North American online reputation management firm, has helped thousands of professionals launch their career into overdrive by implementing social strategies. Below are their 5 tips on how professionals can get social to boost their careers. 1. Create a Professional Identity Everything you do online, from comments to likes, is a representation of your character. Before you start posting content online and interacting with others, you must decide how you want to be seen by the public. What do you want to be known for? What are your strengths, skills, goals, and achievements? How do others in your field present themselves online? These answers will help you develop your professional identity and dictate your online behavior. When creating online content, think about what you would feel comfortable with your employer, coworkers, and employees seeing. Additionally, it is important to establish boundaries between your personal and professional life. You do not need to share every piece of information, and often you shouldn’t, as it will distract viewers from your goal of establishing a professional online presence. 2. Build Your LinkedIn Profile Any serious professional has a LinkedIn profile. It’s an online resume that can be accessed by anyone at all times, and is an effective way to network with other professionals, as well as stay in the loop on employment opportunities from your favorite companies. Even if you are not actively looking for a new job, it’s great to be aware of the opportunities available to you. Start by fully completing your profile with your work history, skills, and achievements. We recommend emitting any job history that is no longer relevant to your current career goals. No one needs to know about your first job at a fast-food chain. Additionally, a professional profile picture is essential. No selfies or cropped party photos. If you aren’t interested in getting a professional photo taken, ask a friend to snap a picture of you in business casual clothes against a clear background, like a brick building or a clean white wall (iPhone portrait mode works great!). After your profile is complete, start connecting with past and present co-workers, employers, and classmates. You never know what acquaintances or past co-workers are looking to hire someone with your exact set of skills! Additionally, these connections will be extremely valuable for the next step: sharing professional content. Post a LinkedIn blog on a topic you’re an expert on or share an interesting article related to your profession. This type of online activity is great for engaging with others and becoming part of a conversation. 3. Display Your Skills and Passion If you want others to see you as a successful and knowledgeable professional, you must display your skills. No matter what your skills are, there is a way to effectively communicate with them through online content. From blogging, YouTube videos, personal websites, ResearchGate (for those with published scientific work), you can market yourself as a professional expert. Do you enjoy talking in front of a camera? Do you have a love for writing? Whatever you’re strengths, there’s a platform for you. Do not feel discouraged from the fact that there are so many people sharing content online. The goal is to have proof of your skills for other professionals to see, not to gain thousands of followers (although that is definitely a plus!). If potential employers see this content, they won’t care about your follower account. They will care about the quality of what you are saying. If you’re looking to create a larger online presence, develop a unique and creative way to deliver your thoughts that differentiates your content from others. 4. Attend Networking Events The online world is great for staying in contact long-term with professionals. However, nothing can replace quality face-to-face conversation. If you agree, you’re likely the type of person to thrive at networking events. Find networking events by exploring online professional communities, such as Facebook groups, and set up Google Alerts for networking events in your area. Often it takes a few events to fully feel comfortable in these settings, so don’t get discouraged if the first event doesn’t go as planned. Can’t find something you’re looking for? Create it! Use your online network to build a community and spread the word. Attend local meetups to get inspiration for your own event. 5. Create an Online Community For those with a passion to connect and share, this tip is for you. After establishing an online presence, use your platform to create an online community where hardworking professionals with similar goals to you can bond and network. Not only is this a great way to be more social with your career, it’s also a great way to receive constant motivation when striving to meet your own career goals. A great example of a professional who created their own online community is Cassey Ho, a fitness instructor and creator of Blogilates. Blogilates began as a single YouTube video posted by Ho to help students of her Pilates class practice on their own. However, the video received thousands of views and comments from women wanting more fitness advice. This inspired Ho to create an online fitness community, where women share their stories on weight loss, weight gain, nutrition, body image, and even entrepreneur advice. Cassey Ho has effectively created a safe space for women to support each oth er in various aspects of their lives.   This online community has transformed Ho’s career and led her to tackle many other professional endeavors, such as publishing a book, designing clothing, and speaking at public events. Although creating an online community takes years of hard work, it all started with a simple YouTube video for Cassey Ho. So what are you waiting for?! Bio: Michelle works from home. She has handled and developed winning marketing strategies for start-ups, non-profits, and corporations. You can connect with Michelle via her LinkedIn. Go to top   Bottom-line â€" I want to help you accelerate your career â€" to achieve what you want by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my 4 Building Blocks to Relationships eBookâ€" the backbone to your Networking success and fantastic work relationships.  Grab yours by visiting here right now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Financial Auditing

Financial Auditing What Is Financial Auditing? ChaptersDefining A Financial AuditFinancial Auditor: A ProfessionPreparation For A Financial AuditIf you work in the accountancy department in any business, you will surely have heard of the terms: financial auditing and auditing procedures.Furthermore, if you are a student working towards a public accountant qualification then this subject will no doubt have cropped up during the course of your accounting course curriculum.If you have a fair idea of what an audit is, then you can probably hazard a guess at what compliance auditing as a process means. However, as an accountant, accuracy is absolutely key so let us educate you on exactly what a financial audit entails and its purpose. DevanshAccounting Teacher 4.90 (31) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OmarAccounting Teacher 5.00 (10) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JaniceAccounting Teacher 4.80 (5) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DorothyAccounting Teacher 5.00 (7) £40/h1st lesson free!Dis cover all our tutors AmirAccounting Teacher 5.00 (5) £80/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors BickyAccounting Teacher 5.00 (58) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NaimishAccounting Teacher 5.00 (5) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MikeAccounting Teacher 5.00 (6) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsDefining A Financial AuditAccounting professionals would advise that a financial audit is an independent and objective evaluation of a company's finances and reporting processes. Its main purpose is to provide assurance to managers, directors, investors and regulators that the financial processes are accurate and in accordance with regulations.A financial audit acts as assurance to banks and investors that a business' finances are justifiable. Photo credit: masochismtango on Foter.comFinancial auditing is a term that is heard primarily in the business world and is usually conducted by an individual body.Why Is Financial Auditing Necessary?Financial audits were introduced to detect fraud and to implement finance accountability. However, at one time, it was internal managers who used to produce audit reports, which is not very ethical.Over time, physical inspections of inventory became mandatory to minimise illegal operations, and it became a regulation that companies appointed an external company to audit their finances.As this area has developed over the years, experts in the field expect it to continue to grow and to implement more sophisticated methods of keeping on top of financial accuracy. More regulatory control will come into place thanks to the advancement of technology (particularly automation and outsourcing), and foresee the regularity of audit timing to increase.It is believed that auditors may need to be better educated on technology and analytical methods if these changes are to  take place.As the rule goes, you need an audit if you are a publicly held company or intend to be in the future. You will need auditin g documentation for the first year that your business has its initial public offering (IPO) as well as for all subsequent years thereafter.In addition, if you accept funding from banks or investors in the way of repayable or non-repayable loans, you have a duty to have an audit and allow them access to the reports. Some banks will require an audit if they consider you high risk. Finally, you may want a voluntary audit because it shows your company's diligence and will make it easier to apply for loans or funding in the future.You can find managerial accounting lessons with a private tutor here.What makes up the financial audit?The procedure of carrying out a financial audit involves a number of phases.These include planning the audit to be conducted, determining how finances are controlled internally, testing and evaluating the compliance, and reporting the findings.See further details on the four key phases of financial auditing below:PlanningFirstly, the independent organisation w ill come up with a plan of action that will involve the method they will collect data to form an opinion about the company's financial situation. Usually, a sample reflecting a point in time in the life of the company is collected and financial transactions and documents related to this period are then looked at.Internal controlsThe next step involves taking a look at the internal controls of the organisation. The auditor will meet with managers and directors to demand information, look closely at records, and watch financial procedures in action. This means that the entire Accounts department could be involved in the reporting process. Without seeing how the department works, the auditor cannot give a true statement about the financial status of the organisation.TestingThe penultimate phase, testing, means checking whether the internal controls are working or not. An auditor requests more details about the goings on within the company returns to the company for more inspections (so metimes frequent visits are necessary), and watches how financial procedures are being performed in-house. If the evidence demonstrates the correct compliance, the auditor determines that the company is accurate in their ability to successfully detect and prevent errors.One of the key phases of financial auditing is reporting findings. Photo credit: kenteegardin on Foter.com /ReportingFinally, once the three stages above have been completed, the auditor gives a conclusion on how the company adheres to regulated accounting standards. The audit usually offers one of the following conclusions: an unqualified approval, a qualified approval, a disclaimer, or an adverse finding. The first is considered as the best result possible and the last is the worst possible outcome.Financial Auditor: A ProfessionIndependent financial auditors are professional individuals who are not on the payroll of your company and do not have a stake in your business' outcome. It is vital that auditors are compl etely unbiased as they carry out their investigations, as they have a duty to report their findings morally and legally. Financial auditors can perform an external or an internal audit for you.Who fits the bill for becoming a financial auditor?Do you fit the profile of an accountant or auditor? Photo credit: JonoMueller on Foter.comAs an auditor, your responsibility will be to provide an independent guarantee that an organisation's risk management, governance and control processes are up to scratch by using investigation methods, which means that the findings often fall on your shoulders alone.Auditing can also include a consulting service, advising management on how to improve their systems and processes, so it is vital that the individual has much expertise on the subject and can offer valid information that is relative to the company and its financial dealings.The work of an internal auditor differs to that of external auditors as they look at more than just financial and account ing risks.Check out the best accounting softwares here.The Responsibilities Of An AuditorWhile responsibilities may vary from organisation to organisation, your main duties will involve the following (taken from the Prospects job profile page):attending meetings with auditeestravelling to different sites to meet relevant staff and obtain documents and informationresearching and assessing how well risk management processes are working and recording the results using software such as Microsoft Word and Excelproviding ad hoc advice and guidance to managers and staff at all levels, sometimes by delivering courses and training sessionsperforming risk assessments on key business activities and using this information to guide what should be covered in auditsanticipating emerging issues through research and interviews and deciding how best to deal with themproviding support and guidance to management on how to handle new opportunitiesagreeing recommendations with relevant staff members to m ake improvements to operations and helping to secure backing for them in meetingspreparing reports to highlight issues and problems and distributing the reports to the relevant peopleassessing how well the business is complying to rules and regulations and informing management of any issues that need addressingmanaging a variety of stakeholders and their expectations through regular communications.Suitable candidates must show that they are able to use their own initiative, as they will be working independently much of the time. However, they will also get the chance to interact with other members of audit committees. They must also have a great eye for detail, be analytical, have strong ethics and sound judgement, be a great communicator, be highly organised, able to work in pressurised situations and be flexible.While you will most probably work normal office hours, there may be some overtime required.Many auditing jobs are based in London and other big cities, but as so many orga nisations need internal auditing, opportunities are available in smaller towns as well. Professional auditors will be expected to look the part and follow the usual business dress code.What Qualifications Are Required?This career is open to most college or university graduates but a degree, foundation degree, diploma or other qualification in one of the following subjects may be considered beneficial and could help you to secure future promotions:accountancyeconomicsfinanceITAs a professional in the accounting field, you will need to be up to speed with key financial terms like financial statements, government auditing standards, revenue, fiscal year, stakeholder, misstatement, accounting principles, taxes, disclosure, international standards, year-end, assurance services, audit risk, financial records, corrective action, bookkeeping, liability and shareholder, to name but a few!How Much Does A Financial Auditor Earn?Newly qualified internal auditors can expect to earn salaries of b etween £22,000 to £35,000 while those with more experience can raise this to £32,000 to £53,000 per annum.Managers or directors often earn in excess of £70,000.Preparation For A Financial AuditFinancial audits are not small or insignificant affairs.Money and its appropriate use can make or break your business and its reputation, so being well-prepared for your audit is very important. That said, if you know that your financial dealings are completely ethical then you should have nothing to worry about.It is important to know that even the smallest financial oversight can send you to prison, as it is your duty to be compliant with regulations. This is why financial audits are critical and quite daunting at the same time.As a company director, you should read up on why financial audits are necessary as you will then learn that their primary purpose is to prove that you are doing your job correctly. Auditors are on your side, so long as you are working ethically!If you want to lea rn more, why not check out our other accounting-based blogs about accounting basics,  key accounting concepts, basic accounting terminology, how to read a profit and loss sheet, and double-entry bookkeeping and accounting principles.

How about summer tutoring program for English learners

How about summer tutoring program for English learners 0SHARESShare Does your child require some extra tutoring in English then summer tutoring program is the better way out to fill up academic gaps and move ahead in next academic year. You can register your child in online summer course. Out of all other summer camp activities, children often prefer to take English classes. The program is designed to offer students with an educational experience that will foster growth in learning English as second language. English online program is designed to provide opportunities for new learning experiences by giving practice to children in reading, writing and conversation in English. The program emphasis on vocabulary building, grammar exercise, creative writing skills, building conversational skills, participation online discussion, forums, talk about, and lot more English online tutors will expect students to speak and talk in English especially this goes with non-English speakers. They prepare children to frame their views, share and talk about current happenings.   They work out strategy to gear up children towards elementary ELLs, may it be adapted for older students. They also familiarize children with academic content based on age and education background. English summer program perform continuous assessment to evaluate the improvement of the student in English language. Each child registered in summer program is tested where the evaluation is reported in a progress card. Finally, each of them gets a program participation certificate from the summer activity tutor. Summer schools are great fun and learning for both student and tutor. The time is too short, but summer camp definitely helps students in very positive way both academically and personally. [starbox id=admin]

New maths 9-1 GCSE

New maths 9-1 GCSE Tutor Adam S, a qualified teacher and specialist in GCSE mathematics, explains all you need to know about the new maths 9-1 GCSE providing sample papers as well as insight into the exam  and grade boundaries. ...... May 2017 is the first year that the new maths 9-1 GCSE will be examined. A common question I have been asked by students and parents is ‘where can I find past papers to practice?’ and ‘what will the grade boundaries be?’ The aim of this post is to examine the syllabus and answer both questions. The papers Currently there is a limited set of papers available for the new maths 9-1 GCSE. Just click on the appropriate link below to find a pdf of the exam you would like to complete. Edexcel:                 OCR                              AQA S1 S2 S3                  S1 S2 S3 S4                Papers,  Answers The Tiers Grade 9 is now the highest that you can achieve, grade 8 the next highest and so on. The higher tier runs from grade 9-4, and the foundation tier runs from grade 5-1. It is important for your child to know if they are taking the higher or foundation tier paper as the content is different for both. They can ask their school teacher which tier they are entered for if they don’t know already. Since there are no past papers for this exam, I am advising all my students to complete all the sample paper sets for each of the exam boards to help prepare. The mathematical content in each exam board is broadly the same as are the style of questions despite small differences. It’s all maths! There are 3 exams in each sample set; 2 calculator and 1 non-calculator. This is the same structure that your child’s Maths GCSE will be. It is so important to focus on these sample papers instead of the past papers for the old GCSE because there is new content in the 2017 GCSE that is not in the old papers. The style of questions is also very different. Instead of practicing from past papers, I would advice a combination of the sample papers (linked above), and the 9-1 GCSE Edexcel textbook which can be found with a simple google or amazon search. Many schools have not adopted this book yet and I cannot attest enough to the usefulness of a book rammed with questions of the new style for every single topic and answers at the back. In my opinion it is best used in combination with a tutor / teacher / knowledgeable parent and a revision guide that has clear explanations and is specific to your exam board (CGP for example). Grade boundaries What percentage do you need to achieve a grade 9 in maths GCSE? How about a grade 5? These questions are difficult to answer and school teachers giving vague non-committal answers to this question are doing so because we can only really guess at this point. No one knows exactly what the grade boundaries are - it will depend on how difficult the papers are that are given in the summer. Having said this, we do have some clues from the government as to how many students will receive each grade, which means anyone can predict what grade they are currently working at and what grade they are likely to achieve on the 9 to 1 scale. Using past papers, we can calculate what grade you are currently at. To predict accurately what grade your child is currently at, they can complete 3 past papers from their exam board and work out their grade from the grade boundaries for that paper. You can find grade boundaries for the specific papers you have completed on the exam board website. Once you have the grades for those 3 papers, you can match them to the number grade by using the image above. Bear in mind that if your child gets a C, that will equate to a high 4 or a low 5. A high C will be a grade 5, and a low C will be a grade 4 (the bottom 66% to be exact according to ofqual and Edexcel board). So most students achieving a C on the old paper will achieve a grade 4 on the new paper. In addition to using past papers to see where your child is at, I have brought together analysis from maths teachers from different schools to come up with predicted grade boundaries for the Edexcel 9-1 sample papers: Higher Tier Level, %                             (marks out of 80) 9                     91%                                           (73) 8                     79%                                           (63) 7                     64%                                           (52) 6                     53%                                           (43) 5                     41%                                             (33) 4                     30%                                           (24) Foundation Tier Level           %                     (marks out of 80) 5                       78%                                           (63) 4                     67%                                           (54) 3                     56%                                           (45 Although I had a lot of fun making these grade boundaries and would love for you to use them to grade your own sample papers, take the results with a pinch of salt as they are predictions based on sample sizes of individual schools which is small compared to the number of students there are in the UK. Good luck and happy exam preparations! ..... If you have any questions for Adam S or would like him as a tutor for your child, please send him a message through his profile. Alternatively, on the Tutorfair website enter your postcode and Tutorfair will show you GCSE Maths tutors in your area, with the top rated tutors! Checkout out more  Tutorfair blogs  here: Five Strategies to improve Academic Performance Dyslexia Resources: a Guide for Parents

Making a Prediction In English

Making a Prediction In English In todays class, we are going to learn how to make a prediction in English and speculate. We are not going to look at the basic will and is going to. We will show you other ways to engage in conversation about the future, to give your opinion and guess. Lets first look at some of the expressions we can use to give predictions below. As you can see, moving to the right of the diagram, the likelihood of the event happening becomes more possible:Learning How To Make A Prediction In EnglishLearning How To Make A Prediction: Listening ExerciseDid you get that? Great. Now, lets look at this great trailer for a movie that came out earlier this year-Arrival. Listen carefully and get your pen ready, because were about to  do an  exercise to  practice your listening skills. As always, write your comments below and we will get back to you!You are at the top of everyones ___________ when it comes to translations.Thats what they are calling the _____________.Every ______________ hours a door open s up. Thats _________  we go in.Were __________ _________ _____ be able to speak their words.We need to make sure they understand the difference between a _________ and a  ______________.Learning How To Make A Prediction In English: Gap FillNow that youve finished that exercise, I think that you will be able to make some predictions about the movie. So, lets start with some sentences that I want you to complete with the expression you think is most accurate from the diagram above.The movie is ___________________ be about a translator trying to communicate with aliens.There is ________________ the movie is about two dogs and their friendship.It _____________  that the aliens will attack all humans.Amy Adams (the main actress) _______________ make friends with the aliens and go to Mars.Learning How To Make A Prediction In English: PracticeNow that weve made predictions and speculated about what Arrival is about, lets try to become detectives! Detectives solve crimes by looking at cl ues to find the person responsible, and we have a crime for you to solve today-Mr. Brown has been murdered!First, lets look at the crime scene below:When you are walking outside of your office, you notice Mr.Brown on the floor. He is dead! Terrible news. But as you look to the right, you notice something strange (right image). What is it? What does this mean about the killer? Write your comment below using the expressions we used earlier in the class.But wait, there are further clues to the mystery. do you have any ideas about what happened?As you are leaving the crime scene to go home, you find an empty bottle on the floor! What are your final conclusions about what could have happened? Write your thoughts  below and well  see who would make the best detective!Learning How To Make A Prediction In English: SummaryWe hope you enjoyed todays post. Sign up today for a trial class and an opportunity to try out your new English skill!

Overcoming homesickness while teaching abroad

Overcoming homesickness while teaching abroad That feeling of homesickness. Teachers abroad everywhere: we’ve all had it! While teaching abroad can be thrilling, it can also be incredibly challenging in a number of ways. Are you finding yourself feeling FOMO (fear of missing out) as you scroll through your Facebook news feed? Or even when you attempted to make your mom’s signature dish - and ended up setting the kitchen on fire? More often than not, homesickness takes root when we try to recreate home wherever we are. It's never going to be the same - but that’s a good thing! That’s why you chose to teach abroad in the first place, for a unique cultural experience and the chance to experience the adventure of a lifetime. That said, here are some quick ideas to help you curb those pangs of homesickness: Make time for your friends and family back home. Think about how lucky we are nowadays that no matter how many miles we’re apart, we can still have a conversation “face to face.” Thanks, Skype! Make time for new friends, too. This may mean finding a community of expats in your area or meeting teachers from all over the world through your job.No matter where your international teaching adventure has taken you, there are always others in a similar situation to you. Become a local. Experience the unique culture of your destination. Get to know people. Try the local cuisine and get to know your way around. Make a list of local places or activities and challenge yourself to do or see all of them within a month. While you might feel like a tourist at first, you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll get to know your surroundings. You’ll be giving out directions in no time! Celebrate your cultural holidays. Holidays are usually when you will feel the most homesick. You don’t have to miss out on the action! Recreating the holidays in your new surroundings can be a tradition to share with your new friends. Celebrate new holidays! Embrace the unfamiliar, you may find yourself celebrating these new holidays for years to come. Get started on that travel bucket list. Teaching is a job structured with vacation time, so take advantage of this awesome perk! Plan an exotic trip or book an excursion for something you’ve always wanted to do. This will give you something fun to do and keep you focused on the next adventure where you are, rather than dwelling on what’s happening at home. Plan a trip from friends or family. Are your friends and family feeling envious of your new and exciting life? There’s nothing wrong with letting them know they’re welcome to come visit! Let them in on the fun too and play tour guide in your new home country. Ask them to bring some of your home comforts. When your friends or family are visiting, don’t forget to ask them to bring some of your favorite snacks. No one planning a visit anytime soon? Luckily, the mail still works. Remind yourself why you did this! Never lose sight of why you chose this path for yourself. Nothing breaks that feeling of homesickness quite like some good old-fashioned perspective. Thinking of heading abroad to teach? Apply to teach abroad at top international schools with Teach Away today!

Memorable teach abroad moments from the UAE!

Memorable teach abroad moments from the UAE! We recently asked our teachers who are currently teaching abroad: “What’s your most memorable teach abroad moment?” With the recent interest of our Middle East teaching positions - particularly those in the UAE - we’ve decided to share our favourite stories from teachers currently teaching there! Donald, from Georgia, teaching in the UAE “The most memorable experience for me was the first day I walked in the class and was greeted by the students. Right then my fire for teaching was burning brighter again and it truly felt like I earned another chance to make a huge positive impact on children learning. Teaching abroad has changed my family’s life and has changed my outlook on life.” Raina, from Texas, teaching in the UAE “My most memorable experience teaching abroad so far is making life-long friends from around the world! I have come to realize that no matter where you are from, many of us are like-minded individuals that immediately form connections through this experience. My friends, even though I have not known them long, are my family. When you change your life with amongst a group of strangers doing the same as yourself, you tend to stick together no matter the differences. I absolutely love learning about everyone's various cultures, languages, and countries.” LaShari, from North Carolina, teaching in the UAE “I live and work 3 hours outside of the city of Abu Dhabi in a very small traditional desert community. The most memorable moment so far: one day I was leaving work and camels came running down the road while I was driving! Camels roam free so drivers must be careful.” Interested in teaching in the UAE? We’re currently hiring 1000 English teachers. If you have a Bachelor’s degree, teaching experience, and a ESL certificate and/or teaching license, you could qualify. Learn more about UAE English positions

Media Freedom Around the World

Media Freedom Around the World Photo by Raymond Gliford on Flickr.com Not according to Reporters Without Borders, though. RWB, a non-profit dedicated to protecting freedom of information worldwide, ranks the U.S. at number 46 on their 2014 World Press Freedom Index, which analyzes the degree of freedom for journalists in 180 countries around the world. Among the U.S.’ neighbors are Romania at 45 and Haiti at 47. So why does the U.S. rank so low? According to RWB, the U.S.’ fall (last year, it ranked at 33) is mostly due to the prosecution of journalists’ sources, including the arrest  of Bradley Manning, primary source for the WikiLeaks case, as well as the 2013 Associated Press scandal, in which the Department of Justice revealed that they had been monitoring the company’s phone records. So who are the world leaders in freedom, really? Finland, taking the number one spot on the list, followed by the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg and Andorra. Northern Europe definitely has the U.S. beat in the freedom of press category, and their strong culture of free information has spread, to some extent, throughout the rest of the continent, with 31 of the top 50 countries on RWB’s list located in Europe. The countries that are the least free are mostly located in the Middle East and northern Africa, where the Syrian conflict has resulted in press crackdowns in numerous surrounding countries. Syria, which ranked 177th out of the 180 countries listed, has brought up many polarizing questions in the region, which has led to decreases in the rankings for other countries including Lebanon, which dropped four spots from last year, landing at 106th, and Iraq, which fell four spots to 153rd. The situation in Syria reflects a general trend for press freedom: armed conflict means stricter government regulation and more violence against journalists. Luckily, this trend has been gaining some attention in the international community, with the United Nations General Assembly recently adopting their first resolution on journalists’ safety. Also ranking lower on RWB’s list were countries in Eastern Europe and central Asia. Rounding out the bottom of the list were Eritrea at 180, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea at 179, Turkmenistan at 178 and Somalia at 176. Photo by Stefano Peroni on Flickr.com RWB isn’t the only organization that measures press freedom. A new report issued by Freedom House, an NGO that focuses on democracy, political freedom and human rights, shows that only 14 percent of the world’s population is living under a free press, while 42 percent live in countries that are partially free and 44 percent live in countries that are not free at all. Compare those numbers to last year’s statistics of 32 percent free, 35 percent partly free and 33 percent not free, and it’s clear that we are in a pretty grim situation. According to Freedom House, having an entirely free press means that there is adequate coverage of political news, journalists’ safety is guaranteed, government interference in the media is limited and the press isn’t limited by extreme economic or legal pressures. According to Freedom House’s data, press freedom around the world is at its lowest level in over a decade, a trend that is caused by declines in freedom in the Middle East and eastern Africa, as well as Turkey and Ukraine, both of which suffered major blows to freedom of information recently. The decline was also caused by lessening media freedom in more developed countries like the U.S. and the United Kingdom, where the governments’ focus on national security issues have begun to eclipse the need for freedom of information. Many of the declines in press freedom were seen in authoritarian countries, where increased protests have led to greater crackdowns on social media and the Internet. In many of these countries, print and television media is mainly state controlled, so the Internet is the main source of opposition news. Photo by Pablo Ruiz Musquiz on Flickr.com A greater crackdown on Internet usage can be seen in Russia, where opposition news sources are often shut down and replaced with more Kremlin-friendly sites, and China, where a new law penalizing bloggers has shut down many of the government’s online opponents. Russia and China, along with a number of other countries, have also restricted media freedom by limiting the number of foreign journalists allowed into their countries. While local reporters are held under strict control by the government, foreign reporters have much more freedom, and thus are more dangerous to the regime. Increased targeting of foreign journalists, through legal or illegal measures, has seriously restricted their ability to fairly and correctly report on events in other countries. Both of these reports paint a very negative picture of press freedom around the world. Press freedom is one of the most important factors in creating and maintaining democracy, and the worldwide decline is not something that should be taken lightly. Clearly, we’re not doing as well as we think we are, and, even in the more developed countries, there is still a lot of work to be done. True freedom of information is a difficult dream to attain, but we shouldn’t be getting less free as time goes on. Increasing media freedom around the world isn’t easy, but it’s something that needs to happen, and soon.