Australia falls in World Press Freedom Index, with report citing PM, media mergers and ‘draconian’ laws

Australia has slipped two places in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, coming in at number 21 out of 180 countries.

The report noted the merger of Nine and Fairfax, conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison, “draconian legislation” and Australia’s tough defamation laws all played a part in putting the country’s media at risk.

Australia placed behind New Zealand, Canada and Costa Rica

“Australia has good public media, but the concentration of media ownership is one of the highest in the world,” the report said. “It became even more concentrated in July 2018, when Nine Entertainment took over Fairfax Media group. Mainly concerned with business efficiencies and cost-cutting, the new entity resembles Australia’s other media giant, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation.”