"New Study: Global Press Freedom Declines in Every Region for First Time Israel, Italy and Hong Kong Lose Free
Status". But when you look at the chart for the Middle East (and I really don't think highly of the Middle East expertise at Freedom House) they list
Kuwait ahead of Lebanon in press freedom which is rather crazy. I mean, in Lebanon you can easily get away with criticizing and mocking the head of the state but you can't do that in Kuwait. There is no comparison.