Australia plummets to 39th place for freedom of the press

Coalition politicians often cast slurs on other countries for their suppression of democratic processes. They've made an artform out of attacking the ABC and cutting its funding to shreds. They ridicule media outlets that do not belong to Murdoch's media empire and they've even jailed whistle-blowers. Then there's SKY!

Well, Australia has now been called out on yet another area fundamental to democracy - freedom of the press, the 4th estate!

If Labor wins the 2022 Election Albanese must establish a Royal Commission into our increasingly Russian-Chinese type of media.

" Australia lags behind New Zealand, Taiwan and Timor-Leste on World Press Freedom Index "
"... Australia slid from 25 to 39 out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' (RSF) World Press Freedom Index for 2022, ranking below close neighbours New Zealand in 11th place and Timor-Leste at number 17.
"Ultra-concentration of media ownership, combined with growing official pressure, endanger public-interest journalism" in Australia, RSF said.
Taiwan, which has transitioned from a military dictatorship to a liberal democracy since the late 1980s, ranked just above Australia at 38.
Australia was also beaten out by Bhutan, a constitutional monarchy with an historically oppressive media environment in which political parties were banned until 2007. ..."

www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-04/australia-falls-down-world-press-freedom-index-2022/101036252