Press freedom has improved in Georgia and the country jumped 39 places to number 81 on a 2009 ranking by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released on October 20.

120th ranking in the previous similar index for 2008 was mainly attributed to the death of three journalists during the August war.

“Indicators point to a deterioration in the press freedom situation in almost all of the former Soviet Republics except Georgia,” the new index for 2009 by RSF says.

“Georgia was able to leap 39 positions because it did not fight a war during the period covered even if political tension continued to have an impact on the news media,” it says.

Georgia was ranked 66th in the similar index by FSF in 2007.