Press Freedom in Crisis
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is painting a bleak picture for freedom of the press. The World Press Freedom Index has fallen to a record low as conditions for journalists worsen in over half of all countries surveyed. In conflict zones, journalists are increasingly becoming the targets of government-sanctioned attacks. Authoritarian regimes are inspiring other nations to replicate repressive rules to control the media. More countries are posing challenges to independent reporting. Social media platforms are siphoning revenue from traditional media outlets. Lawsuits are piling pressure on journalists, even in democratic countries. On top of that, journalists must also deal with disinformation and deepfakes on a daily basis. Even Taiwan, home to one of Asia’s most open media environments, dropped two places in the RSF index rankings, which has been attributed to declining public trust. In this episode of #CorrespondentsOnTaiwanPlus, host Andrew Ryan speaks with Cedric Alviani, director of RSF’s Asia-Pacific Bureau, about what the developments mean for journalists and what can be done to reverse this grim trend.
