Oppression of journalists in China ‘may have been factor in Covid pandemic’

China placed 177th in Press Freedom Index, with warning that persecution of reporters can have international impact

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Persecution of journalists in China may have contributed to the global coronavirus outbreak by stopping whistleblowers coming forward in the early days of the pandemic, according to the press freedom group Reporters Without Borders.

China ranks 177th out of 180 countries on the organisation's annual Press Freedom Index, with the organisation warning that persecution of journalists in totalitarian regimes affects citizens in western democracies.