Thanks to a President that calls the media the “enemy of the people” a watchdog group says that hatred of journalists is turning to violence.

The group Reporters Without Borders says that hatred of journalists whipped up by populist and authoritarian leaders (like Trump) is degenerating into violence across the world.

The period since President Donald Trump's election in 2016 has been one of the "American journalism community's darkest moments", the report said.

Political leaders' hostility towards the media "has incited increasingly frequent acts of violence that have fuelled an unprecedented level of fear and danger for journalists," the report added.

"If the political debate slides towards a civil war-style atmosphere, where journalists are treated as scapegoats, then democracy is in great danger," RSF chief Christophe Deloire said.

Press freedom was in good health in less than quarter of the 180 countries covered by the index, with the United States sliding to 48th place.

H/T AFP