Reporters Without Borders (RSF) general secretary Christophe Deloire speaks during a press conference to present the watchdog鈥檚 World Press Freedom Index for 2018, on April 25, 2018 in Paris. The media watchdog warned Thursday, April 18, 2019, that hatred of journalists whipped up by populist and authoritarian leaders is degenerating into violence across the world. (Photo by BERTRAND GUAY / AFP)
PARIS 鈥� Hatred of journalists whipped up by populist and authoritarian leaders is degenerating into violence across the world, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned Thursday.
And the number of countries where journalists can work safely is plummeting, its annual World Press Freedom Index revealed.
Political leaders鈥� hostility towards the media 鈥渉as incited increasingly frequent acts of violence that have fuelled an unprecedented level of fear and danger for journalists,鈥� the report added.
鈥淚f the political debate slides towards a civil war-style atmosphere, where journalists are treated as scapegoats, then democracy is in great danger,鈥� RSF chief Christophe Deloire said.
Press freedom was in good health in less than quarter of the 180 countries covered by the index, with the United States sliding to 48th place.
The period since President Donald Trump鈥檚 election in 2016 has been one of 鈥淎merican journalism community鈥檚 darkest moments鈥�, the report added.
It linked the president鈥檚 鈥渘otorious anti-press rhetoric鈥� with 鈥渢errifying harassment鈥� aimed particularly at women and journalists of color.
Murder and threats
鈥淣ever before have US journalists been subjected to so many death threats or turned so often to private security firms for protection,鈥� it added.
鈥淗atred of the media is now such that a gunman walked into the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland, in June and killed four journalists and one other staff member,鈥� the report added.
The Paris-based watchdog fears rising tide of strongman leaders 鈥渘o longer seem to know any limits鈥�, citing the gruesome murder of the Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul.
India, the world鈥檚 biggest democracy, slid two notches further into the red zone at 140th place.
Six reporters were murdered there last year and RSF said critics of the Hindu nationalism espoused by its ruling party 鈥渁re branded as 鈥榓nti-Indian鈥� in online harassment campaigns鈥�.
Turkey, the world鈥檚 biggest jailer of journalists, was among the worst countries.
RSF said 鈥渞epression continued to tighten on the few critical outlets that remain鈥�, with its biggest media group taken over by a pro-government conglomerate.
It has also the dubious honor of being the only country to prosecute a journalist for reporting the Paradise Papers offshore investment leaks.
Russia, which the report branded as another 鈥減ioneer of repression鈥�, continued to slide down the table to 149th place.
Africa鈥檚 ups and downs
Another former Soviet republic, Turkmenistan, has sunk to the very bottom of the ranking, supplanting North Korea because of its 鈥渄isgraceful鈥� and relentless鈥� repression of reporters.
Its near neighbor Tajikistan, where most of the independent media has been forced to close, fell 12 places, sitting just above Libya, Egypt, and Azerbaijan.
But the news was not all bad from the old Soviet empire, with Armenia jumping 19 places to 61st after its 鈥淰elvet Revolution鈥� and Kyrgyzstan also climbing 15 after it ended travel bans and the threat of levying 鈥渁stronomical damages鈥� on reporters.
The previously dire situation across the border in Uzbekistan has also somewhat improved due to the 鈥渢haw that began after dictator Islam Karimov鈥檚 death in 2016鈥�, the report added.
But there was little to cheer about in China, which remains rooted to the bottom of the list with the fourth worst record.
Totalitarian Eritrea was even worse. Indeed some of the sharpest falls in press freedom were recorded in Africa.
鈥淛ournalists are being attacked with impunity鈥� in Tanzania since President John 鈥淏ulldozer鈥� Magufuli came to power in 2015, RSF warned, branding him a 鈥減ress freedom predator.鈥�
The east African country fell 25 places, three more than Mauritania, which has locked up a blogger for condemning the use of religion to justify the slavery that is still practiced in the vast Saharan country.
But the continent also saw some spectacular progress. Ethiopia has jumped 40 places under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, while Gambia shot up 30, continuing the improvement after the departure of dictator Yahya Jammeh.
Angola, too, has seen steady gains.
The best performing countries continue to be in Scandinavia with Norway, Finland, and Sweden taking the top three places. /kga