The annual World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders has revealed a troubling trend of increasing political attacks on journalists worldwide. The report highlights the detention of journalists, the spread of misinformation, and the suppression of independent voices as major threats to press freedom.
With more than half of the world’s population set to go to the polls in 2024, governments are failing to protect journalism, according to the organization. The BBC has reported that over 300 of its journalists are now working in exile from their home countries due to increasing attacks on their reporting.
The RSF’s index ranks 180 countries on the ability for journalists to work without interference or threats. Norway retained its top spot, while Eritrea was ranked as the “information desert” at the bottom of the list. The report also highlighted the tightening grip on news and information by authoritarian regimes in the Middle East.
In the Middle East, four of the world’s biggest jailers of journalists – Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Iran – continue to detain newsgatherers, according to the RSF report. The situation is particularly dire in Gaza, where at least 100 journalists have been killed between October 2023 and May 2024.
The United States has fallen 10 places in the rankings due to increasing attacks on journalists from political players. The report also criticized the highly concentrated model of US media ownership, which prioritizes profits over public interest journalism.
In Russia, the state continues its “crusade” against journalism, with over 1,500 journalists fleeing abroad since the illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The number of BBC World Service journalists forced to work in exile has doubled since 2020, reflecting press crackdowns in Russia, Afghanistan, and Ethiopia.
The RSF also warned about the increasing use of generative artificial intelligence and deepfakes in spreading misinformation, calling it a “disturbing” trend. The report serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by journalists around the world in their pursuit of truth and transparency.