Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has reported a “dramatic deterioration” in access to information and an “increase in obstacles” for journalists during the Covid-19 pandemic in its 2021 World Press Freedom Index ranking. It said journalists across the world, but particularly in Asia, the Middle East and Europe, are finding it increasingly difficult to investigate and report on sensitive stories. And the press freedom campaign group questioned whether access to information blocked by authorities during the past year will be restored when the pandemic draws to a close. RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire said: “Journalism is the best vaccine against disinformation. “Unfortunately, its production and distribution are too often blocked by political, economic, technological and, sometimes, even cultural factors. In response to the virality of disinformation across borders, on digital platforms and via social media, journalism provides the most effective means of ensuring that public debate is based on a diverse range of established facts.”