Never before have US journalists been subjected to so many death threats or turned so often to private security firms for protection … the media climate is now classified as ‘problematic’.
The United States continues its slide into the abyss, confirmed by The RSF World Press Freedom Index with a 2019 ranking at 48th place. That’s down three places from last year.
The U.S. ranks below Tonga at 45th, Chile at 46th, and Romania at 47th. But, the U.S. is above Senegal which ranked at 49th place. Yay!
Countries with some of Donald Trump’s favourite autocratic leaders, as one might expect, came in at the bottom. Out of 180 countries ranked, Russia came in at 149th, Egypt at 163rd, Saudia Arabia at 172nd, and North Korea at 179th (which, by the way, for NK that’s up one from last year).
The 2019 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) shows how hatred of journalists has degenerated into violence, contributing to an increase in fear. The number of countries regarded as safe, where journalists can work in complete security, continues to decline, while authoritarian regimes continue to tighten their grip on the media.
When election results on 6 November 2024 showed Donald Trump had won the Presidency, for me it was like getting punched in the face, repeatedly. I mean – repeatedly!
