A record 262 journalists were jailed in 2017 simply for doing their work,India according to a report published Wednesday by the Committee to Project Journalists. That figure is higher even than last year's historic peak of some 259 journalists behind bars.
The nonprofit's annual census found that, of those arrested, an astonishing 21 were arrested on "false news" charges. Others have been jailed for vague "anti-state" charges.
In an era of regular "fake news" accusations from Donald Trump, many have pointed a finger at the president for exacerbating the situation.
SEE ALSO: 'Fake news' isn't just a U.S. problem — it's everywhereBarely a week ago, Trump attacked the free press at a Florida rally and spent the weekend railing on major news outlets. Those were just the most recent examples from a long line of comments and accusations.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
His consistent effort to delegitimize journalism is arguably spreading throughout the world -- as is his hands off approach to condemning other countries for suppressing press freedom -- and people have noticed.
Sen. John McCain called out Trump after the publication of the report, slamming the "harmful rhetoric" that "empowers repressive regime to jail reporters & silence the truth."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Others made a similar connection between Trump's rhetoric and a thriving anti-journalism culture.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Turkey was the worst offender in 2017, with 73 journalists in jail. China and Egypt follow with 41 and 20 journalists behind bars, respectively.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
On the same day the CPJ report was released, reports came in about two Reuters reporters arrested in Myanmar in connection with their work reporting there. Reuters editor-in-chief Stephen Adler released a statement saying, "We are outraged by this blatant attack on press freedom."
American institutions such as the U.S. Embassy in Burma and the State Department echoed the sentiment.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Jason Rezaian, who was jailed in Iran for his work at the Washington Post,had perhaps the most succinct response to Wednesday's news: "This is terrible."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 5: The spores are here!
DEF CON hacker convention in Las Vegas is full of actual tin
Kanye releases new track 'XCTY,' seemingly out of the blue
Facebook will make accounts with a 'large audience' verify their location
Best JBL deal: Save $80 on JBL Xtreme 4 portable speaker
Here's a bracket game to determine the best fictional boyfriends
Amazon launches Inspire as it looks to become a major player in education tech
Baker creates a murder
The Ultimate Guide to Protecting Your Identity in the Digital Age
Android's open OS makes phones vulnerable to attack, report says
The Ember Mug 2 is 40% off as a Best Buy deal of the day
Jamie Oliver shares angry Boris Johnson Brexit rant on Instagram
President Obama shares #LoveIsLove Pride message on Twitter
Girl running away from a peacock is so glorious, she needed a Photoshop battle
Bangladesh vs. New Zealand 2025 livestream: Watch ICC Champions Trophy for free
Elon Musk and Saudi Arabia are officially trying to take Tesla private
Twitter confused Iceland Foods with the football team and the result was glorious
Girl running away from a peacock is so glorious, she needed a Photoshop battle
Musetti vs. Diallo 2025 livestream: Watch Madrid Open for free
Kanye releases new track 'XCTY,' seemingly out of the blue
The Variable Balans vs. the Tic Toc Chair: Which weird chair to try?Update your iPhone now to fix a major security flawInternet nostalgia: Revisiting the memeFX's 'Y: The Last Man' review: A lovingly unfaithful adaptationHow to support sex trafficking survivors without harming consenting sex workersTwitter has started showing which accounts are run by botsHubble zooms in on a dazzling cluster of colorfully twinkling starsTaylor Swift expertly trolls Ed Sheeran about his height in Instagram videoFlu season rages on, beating 2009 swine flu epidemic as deaths climbZendaya shares ingenious way she copes with stressOlympic figure skater performs to Beyoncé's 'Run the World (Girls)'Zendaya shares ingenious way she copes with stressChloe Kim, 17, wins gold at Winter Olympics despite being 'hangry'Astronomers see Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster on its trip in deep spaceU.S. snowboarder Chloe Kim tweets about ice cream in between qualifying runsOlympic figure skater performs to Beyoncé's 'Run the World (Girls)'The Leslie Jones Winter Olympics liveAdam Rippon at the Winter Olympics has captured all of our heartsThe real star of the Winter Olympics is Reese WitherspoonThis teen slept through his alarm because of Netflix and still won gold at the Olympics Donald Trump made money off his name – but that could be ending A weird thing happens when you look up Trump TV The internet is celebrating this 6 Benedict Cumberbatch is coming to save us from the election on 'SNL' 'Westworld' episode 4 hints at how the story will end Elon Musk says we're going to Mars, and we're bringing tunneling droids More than 300 very comfortable protesters march in yoga pants parade Hillary Clinton's excited face is every Chicago Cubs fan right now The Walking Dead's latest death prompts fans to quit watching Tom Hayden, famed 1960s activist and politician, dies Donald Trump's first major newspaper endorsement is not exactly a shocker 5 red flags that will make you rethink what you privately say about women Facebook renews efforts to fight bullying with Safety Center relaunch Minnesota Vikings running back shows off his brand Air India sets record with world's longest non This Scottish waste disposal company has the perfect email address The Walking Dead Recap: Season 7, Episode 1 reveals who Negan kills New Apple 13 This man's tooth fairy letter to his stepdaughter is a thing of pun Mom and Dad's clever Halloween costumes will make you think twice