The U.S. ranks 41st out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders/Reporters Sans Frontières’ (RSF) 2016 press freedom index, largely due to the government’s “war on whistleblowers,” mass surveillance, and the lack of a shield law for journalists that guarantees their right not to reveal sources or other confidential information.
That’s despite the fact that the U.S. actually moved higher in the rankings this year, advancing from its previous position at 49th in 2015. Its “relative improvement by comparison hides overall negative trends,” the organization stated in a press release accompanying the report.
Much of the criticism regards President Barack Obama’s administration, as well as the crackdown on civil rights coverage during the Black Lives Matter protests that took place over the past two years.
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