‘Worrying trend’ of freedom of the press in the UK as country ranks 40 in latest Reporters Without Borders index

‘We have reached the age of post-truth, propaganda, suppression of freedoms – especially in democracies’

The map shows the countries with the freest press in light yellow and the countries where there is a “very serious situation” regarding freedom of information in black Reporters Without Border/Adessium Foundation

A “heavy handed approach” often in the name of national security has seen the UK slip in the rankings of countries with the world’s freest press, according to a new report by Reporters Without Borders.

Scandinavian countries have the freest press in the world, the non governmental organisation said in its World Press Freedom Index 2017, while the UK is slipping onto “a worrying trend”, it said.

It added that only 16 countries in the world were rated as “good” this year.

At the top of the list, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark lead the way followed by the Netherlands, Costa Rica, Switzerland, Jamaica, Belgium and Iceland.

Austria, Estonia, New Zealand, Ireland and Germany were also among the countries which obtained a “good” rating.

The state of the UK’s press was deemed “satisfactory” and Britain ranked 40 out of 180 countries after slipping two places from last year’s index and now ranking after Australia, Namibia, Ghana, South Africa, Lithuania and France.

But Reporters Without Borders warned of “a worrying trend” in the UK in regards to the freedom of the press.

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