Some European countries lead the world in respect for media freedom, yet the situation across the EU is growing increasingly heterogeneous, according to the 2021 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), to be released on Tuesday (20 April).
The annual index, which evaluates the press freedom situation in 180 countries and territories, this year shows that journalism is “totally blocked or seriously impeded” in 73 countries worldwide and “constrained” in 59 others – together representing 73% of those evaluated.
RSF catagorises an individual country’s record on press freedom using a colour scheme, ranging from good (white) and fairly good (yellow) to problematic (orange), bad (red) and very bad (black).
Bangladesh drops one notch in World Press Freedom Index
UNB
20th April, 2021 04:25:32
Bangladesh has ranked 152nd among 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) 2021 while its position was 151st last year, according to Reporters Without Borders, also known as Reporters sans frontières (RSF).
The 2021 World Press Freedom Index shows that journalism, the main vaccine against disinformation, is completely or partly blocked in 73% of the 180 countries ranked by the organisation.
This year’s index, which evaluates the press freedom situation in 180 countries and territories annually, shows that journalism, which is arguably the best vaccine against the virus of disinformation, is totally blocked or seriously impeded in 73 countries and constrained in 59 others, which together represent 73% of the countries evaluated, , RSF states in an article published on its website.
Secretary General of Reporters Without Borders Christophe Deloire. EFE/FILE/José Méndez
Journalism is completely or partly blocked in nearly three-quarters of the 180 countries surveyed for the World Press Freedom Index, the annual report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Tuesday.
The media watchdog said it found that journalism was “totally blocked or seriously impeded in 73 countries and constrained in 59 others.”
“The Index data reflect a dramatic deterioration in people s access to information and an increase in obstacles to news coverage,” said the report released Tuesday.
It said some countries had used the coronavirus pandemic as grounds to block journalists from accessing information sources and reporting in the field.