The World Press Freedom Index puts it top of the continental list and ranks it 23rd in the world.

The Paris based non-profit organisation Reporters Without Borders has been publishing its annual world press freedom index for 25 years.

This year the Scandinavian countries Norway, Finland, Denmark and Sweden are judged to be the freest in the world.

For the eighth successive year Eritrea is at the bottom of the list of 180 countries.

South Africa is in 31st position – the same place it occupied last year.

The organisation calls 2020 a decisive year for the world media and says its difficulties have been exacerbated by the COVID 19 pandemic.

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Reporters Without Borders lists Ghana highest on the continent with Eritrea at the bottom of the 182 countries judged

Every year, Reporters Without Borders questions experts on the independence, pluralism, media environment, self-censorship, transparency and legislative framework of the media in their countries.

Its 2018 list is again topped by Norway.

Ghana, in 23rd place overall,  beats Namibia this year to the top African spot.

Eritrea has the poorest showing among African countries while North Korea is last on the international ranking.

On this day, set up a quarter of a century ago  to pay tribute to reporters who’ve died exercising their profession, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres

calls on governments to strengthen press freedom, and to protect journalists. 

He says promoting a free media is standing up for our right to truth.

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Reporters Without Borders says Apartheid era legislation and the 2004 terrorism laws are used to limit South African media  coverage of institutions in which national interest is supposedly at stake.

Reporters Without Borders’ annual barometer says Norway, Sweden and Finland have the freest media on the planet.

Namibia number 24, Ghana at number 26, Cape Verde, one place below that, and 31st placed South Africa are the top scorers on the continent.

At the bottom of the 180-nation table is North Korea with Eritrea only just place ahead.

Fifty two journalists died doing their jobs during 2017 and 178 were jailed by angry authorities.

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