The United Kingdom's press freedom index score in 2024 was 77.51, a slight drop from the previous year. Between 2013 and 2024, the UK's press freedom index decreased by 5.6 index points overall, meaning that the situation for journalists deteriorated during this period.
What affects press freedom in the UK?
Low media pluralism can detrimentally affect press freedom, and only a handful of companies control the UK market, namely DMG Media, News UK, and Reach. DMG (Daily Mail and General Trust) is the leading national news publisher in the UK with the circulation of the company’s papers at over 12 million copies, whilst News UK follows with more than nine million and Reach with 4.5 million. All three are the only national publishers with a circulation of more than one million and have considerable clout in the market. The concentration of newspaper ownership in the UK is just one reason for the UK’s press freedom index score, with safety for journalists, political polarization, and newsroom closures also impacting the news media landscape.
The UK’s press freedom score in a European context
Although the UK’s press freedom score fell between 2023 and 2024, the country still ranks in the top 30 in the world. Press freedom in Europe varies substantially by country, with the UK placing 18th out of 39 EU and non-EU European countries in 2024, beneath France, Czechia, and Germany but above Austria, Italy, and Poland.
Press freedom index in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2013 to 2024
According to the source, the Index ranks 180 countries and regions according to the level of freedom available to journalists. It is a snapshot of the media freedom situation based on an evaluation of pluralism, independence of the media, quality of legislative framework and safety of journalists in each country and region. It does not rank public policies even if governments obviously have a major impact on their country’s ranking. Nor is it an indicator of the quality of journalism in each country or region.
The countries surveyed were scored between 0 and 100, with 0 being the worst possible result and 100 the best.
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Reporters Without Borders. (May 3, 2024). Press freedom index in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2013 to 2024 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1025956/uk-press-freedom-index/
Reporters Without Borders. "Press freedom index in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2013 to 2024." Chart. May 3, 2024. Statista. Accessed November 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1025956/uk-press-freedom-index/
Reporters Without Borders. (2024). Press freedom index in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2013 to 2024. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1025956/uk-press-freedom-index/
Reporters Without Borders. "Press Freedom Index in The United Kingdom (Uk) from 2013 to 2024." Statista, Statista Inc., 3 May 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1025956/uk-press-freedom-index/
Reporters Without Borders, Press freedom index in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2013 to 2024 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1025956/uk-press-freedom-index/ (last visited November 22, 2024)
Press freedom index in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2013 to 2024 [Graph], Reporters Without Borders, May 3, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1025956/uk-press-freedom-index/
