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The World Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), says that journalists around the world are facing increasing threats. These threats include being put in prison, misinformation spread about them, and being silenced.
In 2024, more than half of the people in the world will vote in elections. However, RSF says governments are not doing enough to protect journalists. The BBC has also reported that over 300 of its journalists are now working outside of their home countries because of these threats.
RSF, which ranks 180 countries on how safe it is for journalists to work, says some political groups use insults and threats to cause people to distrust journalists.
Norway is the safest country for journalists, according to RSF’s report.
Eritrea is the least safe, then North Korea, China, Iran, Afghanistan, and Syria.
The safest countries after Norway are Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland and Estonia.
The UK has moved up three places to 23rd.
The report also says that governments in the Middle East are controlling news and information more tightly. Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Iran are some of the countries that put the most journalists in prison.
The United States has moved down 10 places to 55th.
RSF criticizes the US because it has only a few companies that control most of the media. It says these companies care more about making money than about journalism.
Russia is ranked 162nd. More than 1,500 journalists have left the country since it invaded Ukraine in 2022.
RSF has also warned that artificial intelligence and deepfakes are becoming more popular to spread misinformation.
Vocabulary
- Publish – to print in a book or document for everyone to read; to announce;
- Journalist – A person who writes news stories or reports for a newspaper, magazine, or television station
- Around the world – worldwide; in many places in the world; in many countries
- Face – To deal with something; To encounter or experience something
- Threat – a situation or activity that could cause harm; danger; hazard
- Include – to contain; incorporate; to be part of; to have something smaller as a part of it; come with
- Prison – a place where people are kept as punishment for a crime they did; a building filled with criminals
- Misinformation – Wrong or false information;
- Spread – to open out; to extend over an area; to move apart to cover a bigger area;
- Silence – To stop someone from speaking or making noise;
- Vote – a choice that someone makes in an election or meeting especially by writing a mark on an official paper or by raising their hand; an act of giving or registering a vote; the official choice that you make in an election; the result of voting;
- Election – a process or event in which people vote to choose a leader or winner
- Government – the group of people who have the authority to make and enforce laws and manage a country or region; the people/group that manage and operate a country
- Protect – To keep something safe;
- Report – to tell other people about something; to share information; announce; explain
- Rank – To put things in order from the best to the worst or from the most important to the least important
- Political group – A group of people who share the same ideas about how a country should be run; A team of people who want to influence the government
- Insult – To say or do something that is rude, mean or offensive;
- Cause – make something (usually bad) happen; create
- Distrust – To not trust or believe someone or something;
- According to – as ‘someone’ said; as stated by ‘someone’; in the opinion of ‘someone’
- Report – a written description of an event; story; article; the results of a study or project
- Middle East – the area from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to Iran
- Control – to have power over something; to rule; to regulate
- Criticize – to judge; to find mistakes or problems with something; to complain or say bad things about
- Make money – earn money; make a profit; gain or acquire money
- Journalism – the job/work of gathering, investigating, and reporting news and information to the public
- Invade – to attack and enter a place/country using military force
- Warn – to tell someone about something bad or dangerous that might happen; alert; notify
- Artificial intelligence (AI) – human intelligence in a machine. See more here.
- Deepfake – A fake video or recording made with artificial intelligence to look real and spread misinformation
- Popular – Liked by many people; something many people like; common; frequent
Quiz
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think Norway is ranked the safest country for journalists?
- How do you feel about the threats that journalists face around the world?
- How does the control of media by a few companies in the US affect journalism and news?
- Why do you think artificial intelligence and deepfakes are being used to spread misinformation?
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
Original Story
Fill-in-the-Blank Listening Practice
The World Press Freedom Index, _____ by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), says that journalists around the _____ are facing increasing threats. These threats include being put in prison, misinformation _____ about them, and being silenced.
In _____, more than half of the people in the world will vote in elections. _____, RSF says governments are not doing enough to _____ journalists. The BBC has also reported that over 300 of its journalists are _____ working outside of their home countries because of _____ threats.
RSF, which ranks _____ countries on how safe it is for journalists to work, says some political _____ use insults and threats to cause people to _____ journalists.
Norway is the safest country for journalists, _____ to RSF’s report.
Eritrea is the least safe, then _____ Korea, China, Iran, Afghanistan, and Syria.
The safest countries after Norway are _____, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland and Estonia.
The UK has _____ up three places to 23rd.
The report also says that _____ in the Middle East are controlling news and information more tightly. Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and _____ are some of the countries that put the most journalists in _____.
The United States has moved down 10 places to _____th.
RSF criticizes the US because it has a _____ companies that control most of the media. It says these companies care more about making _____ than about journalism.
Russia is ranked 162nd. More than _____ journalists have left the country since it invaded Ukraine in _____.
RSF has also warned that artificial _____ and deepfakes are becoming more popular to _____ misinformation.
