The 2020 Press Freedom Index from Reporters Without Borders ranked the U.S. 45 out of 180 countries. The watchdog group said the "United States is no longer a champion of press freedom at home or abroad." (Image: Reporters Without Borders)
Coronavirus Pandemic Exacerbating Global Threats to Press Freedom: Watchdog Group
"Press freedom in the United States continued to suffer during President Donald Trump's third year in office," RSF added in its annual Press Freedom Index.
The coronavirus pandemic is worsening global threats to press freedom, watchdog group Reporters Without Borders said Tuesday as it released its latest annual Press Freedom Index.
"The public health crisis provides authoritarian governments with an opportunity to implement the notorious 'shock doctrine'--to take advantage of the fact that politics are on hold, the public is stunned and protests are out of the question, in order to impose measures that would be impossible in normal times," Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire said in a statement.
The 2020 global analysis from the group, known by its French acronym, RSF, put Norway at the top of the index--the fourth year in a row it's had the honor of being named the most free country in the world for the press.
The United States ranked 45, an improvement from the 48th spot the country had on the 2019 index. But the U.S. still came in for criticism by RSF, with the group saying that in the Americas, the U.S. and Brazil "are becoming models of hostility towards the media."
"Press freedom in the United States continued to suffer during President Donald Trump's third year in office," said RSF, citing ongoing "[a]rrests, physical assaults, public denigration, and the harassment of journalists."
Thanks to the Trump team, the "United States is no longer a champion of press freedom at home or abroad," RSF added. The index cites as examples the White House's curtailing of journalists' ability to question the administration, including by denying press access to specific journalists or outlets and the Justice Department's indictment of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange with 17 counts under the Espionage Act. If Assange is convicted, RSF said, it risks setting "a dangerous precedent for journalists who publish classified U.S. government information of public interest moving forward."
RSF pointed to five crises--geopolitical, technological, democratic, trust, and economic--that stand to affect how press freedom fares in the next decade.
"The coronavirus pandemic illustrates the negative factors threatening the right to reliable information, and is itself an exacerbating factor," Deloire added in his statement.
"What will freedom of information, pluralism and reliability look like in 2030?" he said. "The answer to that question is being determined today."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
The coronavirus pandemic is worsening global threats to press freedom, watchdog group Reporters Without Borders said Tuesday as it released its latest annual Press Freedom Index.
"The public health crisis provides authoritarian governments with an opportunity to implement the notorious 'shock doctrine'--to take advantage of the fact that politics are on hold, the public is stunned and protests are out of the question, in order to impose measures that would be impossible in normal times," Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire said in a statement.
The 2020 global analysis from the group, known by its French acronym, RSF, put Norway at the top of the index--the fourth year in a row it's had the honor of being named the most free country in the world for the press.
The United States ranked 45, an improvement from the 48th spot the country had on the 2019 index. But the U.S. still came in for criticism by RSF, with the group saying that in the Americas, the U.S. and Brazil "are becoming models of hostility towards the media."
"Press freedom in the United States continued to suffer during President Donald Trump's third year in office," said RSF, citing ongoing "[a]rrests, physical assaults, public denigration, and the harassment of journalists."
Thanks to the Trump team, the "United States is no longer a champion of press freedom at home or abroad," RSF added. The index cites as examples the White House's curtailing of journalists' ability to question the administration, including by denying press access to specific journalists or outlets and the Justice Department's indictment of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange with 17 counts under the Espionage Act. If Assange is convicted, RSF said, it risks setting "a dangerous precedent for journalists who publish classified U.S. government information of public interest moving forward."
RSF pointed to five crises--geopolitical, technological, democratic, trust, and economic--that stand to affect how press freedom fares in the next decade.
"The coronavirus pandemic illustrates the negative factors threatening the right to reliable information, and is itself an exacerbating factor," Deloire added in his statement.
"What will freedom of information, pluralism and reliability look like in 2030?" he said. "The answer to that question is being determined today."
The coronavirus pandemic is worsening global threats to press freedom, watchdog group Reporters Without Borders said Tuesday as it released its latest annual Press Freedom Index.
"The public health crisis provides authoritarian governments with an opportunity to implement the notorious 'shock doctrine'--to take advantage of the fact that politics are on hold, the public is stunned and protests are out of the question, in order to impose measures that would be impossible in normal times," Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire said in a statement.
The 2020 global analysis from the group, known by its French acronym, RSF, put Norway at the top of the index--the fourth year in a row it's had the honor of being named the most free country in the world for the press.
The United States ranked 45, an improvement from the 48th spot the country had on the 2019 index. But the U.S. still came in for criticism by RSF, with the group saying that in the Americas, the U.S. and Brazil "are becoming models of hostility towards the media."
"Press freedom in the United States continued to suffer during President Donald Trump's third year in office," said RSF, citing ongoing "[a]rrests, physical assaults, public denigration, and the harassment of journalists."
Thanks to the Trump team, the "United States is no longer a champion of press freedom at home or abroad," RSF added. The index cites as examples the White House's curtailing of journalists' ability to question the administration, including by denying press access to specific journalists or outlets and the Justice Department's indictment of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange with 17 counts under the Espionage Act. If Assange is convicted, RSF said, it risks setting "a dangerous precedent for journalists who publish classified U.S. government information of public interest moving forward."
RSF pointed to five crises--geopolitical, technological, democratic, trust, and economic--that stand to affect how press freedom fares in the next decade.
"The coronavirus pandemic illustrates the negative factors threatening the right to reliable information, and is itself an exacerbating factor," Deloire added in his statement.
"What will freedom of information, pluralism and reliability look like in 2030?" he said. "The answer to that question is being determined today."