Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released today its 2018 World Press Freedom Index, which evaluates the level of press freedom in 180 countries. This year’s map reflects the dramatic growing animosity towards journalists.
Hostility towards the media from political leaders is no longer limited to authoritarian countries such as Turkey (down two at 157th) and Egypt (161st). The hatred of journalism is now a dangerous threat to democracies as well.
More and more democratically-elected heads of state are increasing their verbal and physical violence against the press. This is the case in particular in the United States (45th, -2), the Czech Republic (34th, -11), Slovakia (27th, -10) or in Malta (65th, -18) where the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered in the explosion of her car, simply for doing her job.
Faced with the trivialization and brutality of these attacks, it is urgent to take action to defend and preserve the freedom of information in the world.
Bargad... बरगद... 