Diagnosing UK journalism, the sickness that never was
Marek Bekerman, University of Salford Every year as May 3 approaches, newspaper headlines remind us of World Press Freedom Day with accompanying stories justifying the newsworthiness of the occasion. They are often extracted from reports published annually by Reporters Without Borders , which compiles and updates the World Press Freedom Index – a comprehensive list of leaders and laggards in media freedoms. Many media outlets make sure they do not miss this opportunity to remind the public about the importance of freedom of expression and the role of the press in a healthy democracy. To avoid simply producing unpalatable lists based on technical criteria, editors either pick the worst offenders, such as Uzbekistan, or focus on spectacular falls of previous leaders. Al Jazeera/YouTube. Britain as the bad guy This year, the UK has become an offender for the Independent newspaper, which alerted its readers to the approachi...