Worldwide Threats To Press Freedom On The Rise

The newly released 2018 World Press Freedom Index shows increased global pressure on the media and hostility towards journalists. The annual report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reflects the state of journalism internationally. According to the index, journalists face more hatred and violence than last year and not only in authoritarian countries but also increasingly in democratic countries. Freedom House also released a recent report, “State of Global Press Freedom, 2017-2018,” with extremely similar results and has severely criticized Western populist leaders for discrediting the media, reprimanding journalists, and threatening to impose restrictions on fact based journalism.

RSF has warned that “more and more, democratically-elected leaders no longer see the media as part of democracy’s essential underpinning, but as an adversary to which they openly display their aversion.” Within the index, the United States and the Philippines were targeted. Both countries dropped several ranks and were described as democratic countries where threats to journalists by political leaders has led to rapidly increasing negative influence on the press’s freedom. Freedom House stated that President Donald Trump’s characterization of the media as “the enemy of the American people” has severely damaged the public’s trust in fact based journalism.

Voa News reports that the “Trump Effect” has flowed into countries such as Turkey, who jails the largest number of journalists globally, and the Philippines, where President Rodrigo Duterte has openly threatened journalists who disagree with his methods. The index also analyzed overall press freedom in five regions, with the Middle East and the North African region being the worst regions for journalists to do their job safely. Europe is still considered the safest region for journalists but has declined in regional rankings. Reasons for Europe’s decline are due to the killing of a Malta journalist who was reporting on political corruption, and the more recent killing of a Slovakia journalist and his fiancée who was researching politicians and organized crime. Former Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman also brought a fake gun to a press conference that displayed the words “for the journalists” vividly engraved.

It is concerning to see that populist politicians, especially of democratic countries, are attacking fact-based journalism and freedom of debate rather than propaganda and corruption within their political systems. RSF Secretary-General Christiphe Deloire stated that “political leaders who fuel loathing for reporters bear heavy responsibility because they undermine the concept of public debate based on facts instead of propaganda.” The importance of upholding the safety of fact based journalism is paramount. The public needs to be aware of politicians who are involved in corruption to ensure that the public can hold their government’s accountable, and ensure that peaceful and appropriate solutions can be found to resolve political corruption and or conflict. Politicians need to communicate professionally with journalists and target political corruption and propaganda rather than the rights to public debate.

The 2018 World Press Freedom Index ranked the freedom of journalists in 180 countries, with this year’s index raising major concerns for safety and freedom of public debate. Norway tops the list as the safest and most free country for journalists, followed by Sweden and the Netherlands. North Korea has the lowest press freedom and safety for journalists out of the 180 countries ranked. Some countries such as The Gambia, South Korea and Greece have made big improvements and rose up in the rankings. However, despite such countries improvements, 2018 is a year with a record number of countries being classified as having “very bad” freedom of the press.

All governments, especially those who uphold democracy, should be concerned with the safety of journalists and the freedom of the press.  Politicians need to be aware that to dispute facts and condemn debate is a deadly dance with political fire.

Katrina Hope

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