Press freedom at lowest level in 25 years
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READING:
Press freedom is at its lowest level in 25 years. This is according to a report from the organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF). It has released its annual World Press Freedom Index, which assesses the degree to which the media in 180 countries is free to operate. RSF said press freedom was "problematic" or worse in three quarters of the nations assessed. In over half of the world, conditions were "difficult" to "very serious". In 2013, fewer than a third of countries were given this classification. Press freedom was considered "problematic" in over 70 per cent of countries. The RSF said conditions were "good" in only seven countries. These were all in northern and western Europe.
The RSF report highlights growing authoritarian pressure on journalists. It wrote: "Political pressure on the press is intensifying, authoritarian tendencies are growing, and the media market is heavily weakened.…The Index's analysis highlights an alarming deterioration in the conditions for journalism in many parts of the world." The Index describes a worrying trend across the globe. It says there was a "systematic policy" of attacks on journalists in the USA. It said that in Russia, "laws designed to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism" were used to "restrict press freedom". RSF said "67 media professionals killed in the past year were victims of war or criminal networks".
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