REPORTING WITHOUT RESTRICTION
HOW FREE ARE WE TO TELL THE NEWS?
THE UK’s freedom of press has improved for the first time in at least six years, a new report has revealed.
Our country ranked in 33rd position out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) world press freedom index for 2019.
Comparable records go back as far as 2013, when we came in 29th position.
Each year after saw the UK slide further down the ranking scale.
In both 2018 and 2017 we sat in 40th position.
It means 2019 is the first time in at least six years that the UK’s press freedom has improved.
The analysis works out how ‘free’ a country’s press is by evaluating things such as media independence, media environment and self-censorship, legislative framework, transparency, and the quality of infrastructure that supports the news production and information.
This is then combined with data that analyses the abuse and acts of violence against journalists during the year to come up with an overall ranking.
The report revealed that Norway ranked in first place for having the best press freedom - the same position as in 2018.
Finland was in second place, Sweden in third and the Netherlands in fourth.
At the other end of the scale, Turkmenistan in Central Asia came in last place.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Eritrea, China, and Vietnam followed.
Although UK press freedom improved in the last year, it is actually one of the lowest-ranking countries in Western Europe, according to the report.
According to RSF, that is largely due to a heavy-handed approach towards the press, often in the name of national security.
Earlier this year the National Union of Journalists criticised the government for its “latest attack on press freedom”.
The Crime (Overseas Production Orders) Bill became law in February, and will allow foreign governments the opportunity to apply for access to information stored in the UK.
The NUJ said these powers will not be accompanied by safeguarding for journalists working in the UK or living in exile.