WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The recent decline in press freedom in western democracies such as the United States and Canada is disturbing, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in its annual media freedom report on Wednesday.
"We are currently witnessing an alarming decline in press freedom, not only in the United States, as has been the trend for the past few years, but also in Canada," RSF's North America Director Delphine Halgand stated in the report.
The United States fell two places on the annual index from number 41 to number 43, just behind Burkina Faso and Belize.
US press freedom has been under threat over the past few years, most recently with the election of President Donald Trump, the report explained.
RSF noted that former president Barack Obama left behind a "flimsy legacy" on press freedom and access to information.
Canada dropped four points to number 22 in the ranking, as RSF said that several members of the press were under police investigation in an attempt to uncover internal leaks within the department.
Furthermore, a reporter with VICE News is fighting a court order to turn over communications with a protected police source, while another reporter — a journalist with The Independent — faces 10 years in prison over his coverage of protests against a hydroelectric project.
The watchdog noted there are no shield laws protecting Canadian journalists who maintain the secrecy of their sources.
Norway moved two spots to top the press freedom index, while Russia maintained its spot at number 148. Eritrea and North Korea swapped the two last places from the 2016 ranking to fall at number 179 and 180 respectively.
