A journalist wearing a mask holds a banner that reads in Spanish: "Without freedom of speech, it smells like dictatorship", during a protest in Panama City. AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco
According to the recently released (April, 20) World Press Freedom Index, published annually by Reporters without Borders (RWB), media freedom is declining globally. The index, which measures the level of freedom available to journalists in 180 countries using criteria such as pluralism, media independence, media environment, self-censorship, legislative environment, transparency, infrastructure and abuses, reflects a decline of 3.71% in relation to 2014 and a 13.6% decline since 2013.
Several factors are to blame for this downturn. From authoritarian governments to concentrated media ownership, the enemies of press freedom are many and know no frontiers.
