Ireland’s press freedom under ‘major’ threat

Ireland’s unhealthy concentration of media ownership poses a major threat to press freedom, according to the latest Press Freedom Index (PFI).

In one year, Ireland fell five places and is now ranked 14th out of the 180 countries on the index.

The PFI is an annual ranking of countries’ press freedom and is compiled by Reporters Without Borders or Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF).

RSF’s report said this year’s index “reflects a world in which attacks on the media have become commonplace and strongmen are on the rise. We have reached the age of post-truth, propaganda, and suppression of freedoms”.

Ireland’s fall in the ranking was pinpointed to the concentration of media ownership as well as journalists’ inability to interview police sources.

“The highly concentrated nature of media ownership in Ireland poses a major threat to press freedom.

“Independent News and Media controls 40% of the daily and Sunday newspaper market.

“The 1937 Constitution guarantees media freedom but defamation lawsuits are common,” states the report.

“Finally, interviewing police sources has been virtually impossible since the Garda Síochána Act of 2005, which bans police officers from talking to journalists without prior authorisation. Officers contravening the ban risk dismissal, a fine, or up to seven years in prison,” it continues.

RM @RepEliotEngel: #Press freedom is a cornerstone of #democracy & must be a foreign policy priority worldwide. https://t.co/k13HVvlTJV pic.twitter.com/2FcQBpbMzy

— House Foreign Affairs Committee Dems (@HouseForeign) April 26, 2017

While Ireland ranked relatively highly on the index, our neighbouring country, the UK, came in in 40th place out of the 180 countries.

RSF said that the UK’s heavy-handed approach towards the press, which is “often in the name of national security,” is the main reason behind the ranking.

The US came in after the UK, with a ranking of 43rd place out of the 180 countries.

The RSF report made reference to US President Donald Trump’s treatment of the media, where he had labelled the press as an “enemy of the American people.”

Coming in at the very end of the index was China in 176th place and North Korea in 180th place.

China was described in the report as the “world’s leading prison for citizen journalists.”

Several international trends were also cited in the report. These included things such as spying on sources, poisonous rhetoric and other political pressures.

#WorldPressFreedomIndex map is getting darker and darker #RSFIndex 2017 : 21 countries in the black zone pic.twitter.com/uH18brLItg via @RSF_en

— George Roussos (@baphometx) April 26, 2017

“The election of the 45th president of the United States set off a witch-hunt against journalists.

“Donald Trump’s repeated diatribes against the Fourth Estate and its representatives — accusing them of being “among the most dishonest human beings on earth” and of deliberately spreading “fake news” — compromise a long US tradition of defending freedom of expression,” states the RSF report.