According to the ranking, Poland has lost 29 positions on a year-to-year basis and now ranks 47th in the world for the level of press freedom, showing the third biggest decline after Tajikistan and Brunei, which both have lost 34 positions as compared to the previous year.
The RSF admits that the decline could be explained by new country's legislation "empowering the government to appoint and dismiss the heads of the state radio and TV broadcast media."
The World Press Freedom Index is the annual ranking that reflects "the intensity of the attacks on journalistic freedom and independence by governments, ideologies and private-sector interests during the past year," according to the RSF website. The 2016 World Press Freedom Index shows decline in the ranking for such countries as Burundi, Norway, Sweden, Germany and Brazil among others, while such states as Russia, Tunisia, Belgium, Ireland and Iran improved their position in the rating.
