J.D. Tuccille on the Threatened State of Press Freedom Around the World

Is America the free press's last stand? It can feel that way when you look around the world, writes J.D. Tuccille, managing editor of Reason 24/7. English-speaking countries and Europe have traditionally been relative bastions for independent media in a world where political leaders have little tolerance for dissent, but Britain is on the verge of adopting explicit state regulation of the press and the European Union and Australia seem poised to follow. That's especially frightening when you consider that many European nations currently rank above the United States in terms of press freedom—but their collective advantage could be wiped away in a single legislative moment.