Coronavirus further threatening media freedom, says Reporters Without Borders

AFAQ NEWS – The coronavirus pandemic is further threatening media freedom worldwide, according to the annual World Press Freedom Index.

Compiled by Reporters Without Borders, the 180-country index notes a correlation between a country’s ranking and its response to the pandemic.

Both China at 177 and Iran, which dropped three places to 173, censored their coronavirus outbreaks.

Norway again topped the index while North Korea came in last.

In Iraq, which dropped by six to 162, the government stripped the Reuters news agency of its licence for three months after it published a story questioning official coronavirus figures.

In Europe, Hungary dropped two places to 89th after Prime Minister Viktor Orban had a “coronavirus” law passed with penalties of up to five years in prison for false information.

“The public health crisis provides authoritarian governments with an opportunity to implement the notorious ‘shock doctrine,'” Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire said.

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