Number of Imprisoned Journalists in 2011 a 15 Year High

According to a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the number of imprisoned journalists in 2011 was the most since 1996. As of December 1, there were 179 writers, editors, reporters and photographers behind bars, a 34 percent jump from last year.

While jailing declined in the Americas and in Europe, that figure was squashed by the Middle Eastern and North African regions, which accounted for almost 50 percent of the yearly total.