Global press freedom is on the decline – this is according to Reporters without Borders, which has released its latest World Press Freedom Index.
According to the Index, only seven percent of the 180 countries that it covers have environments that can be considered ‘favourable’ for journalists, the lowest since 2013.
In one fifth of countries the situation is ‘satisfactory’ – including South Africa – while in a third of countries the Index considers the environment for journalists as ‘problematic’. Journalists in 29% of countries face a ‘bad situation while in just over 10% of countries the situation is ‘very bad’.
Norway is ranked as the country globally where the environment for journalists is best, followed by their Nordic cousins, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark. Costa Rica in Central America rounds out the top five.
Eritrea is ranked as the country with the lowest levels of press freedom in the world. The rest of the bottom five is made up of Djibouti, China, Turkmenistan, and North Korea.
South Africa is ranked 32nd. In Africa, Cape Verde, Namibia, and Ghana are the only countries with a better environment for journalists on the continent.
Said Reporters without Borders secretary-general, Christophe Deloire, ‘Journalism is the best vaccine against disinformation. Unfortunately, its production and distribution are too often blocked by political, economic, technological and, sometimes, even cultural factors. In response to the virality of disinformation across borders, on digital platforms and via social media, journalism provides the most effective means of ensuring that public debate is based on a diverse range of established facts.’