Press freedom: UK ranked below Tonga, Belize and Ghana in new report

This is shameful.

The new 2016 rankings – compiled every year by Reporters Without Borders – show the UK is now ranked a worrying number 38th in the world for press freedom:

The rankings are compiled taking into account the following criteria:

1. Pluralism (the degree to which opinions are represented in the media)
2. Media Independence (the degree to which the media are able to function independently of sources of political, governmental, business and religious influence)
3. Self-censorship
4. Legislative Framework
5. Transparency
6. Infrastructure
7. Abuses (acts of abuse and violence against journalists and media)

To illustrate what the problem may be, the European section of the report concludes:

“The continent that respects media freedom most seemed to be on a downhill course.”

“Media ownership by conglomerates with a wide range of business interests has long posed a threat to journalistic independence, but the threat is growing and is endangering the European model.”

So there we have it, in a nutshell.

In the UK especially, we’re confusing press freedom with the freedom for a handful of powerful press barons on behalf of a wealthy elite to do what they like.

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