RSF : If there had been a free press in China, then coronavirus could have been prevented from turning into a pandemic

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) criticized China for censoring early coverage of the coronavirus outbreak, telling CNN Business that the global pandemic could have been averted or lessened had journalists had more freedom in the country.

"If there had been a free press in China, if these whistleblowers hadn't been silenced, then this could have been prevented from turning into a pandemic," RSF's UK bureau director Rebecca Vincent told CNN Business, as the group unveiled its annual assessment of media liberty in 180 countries.

"Reporting the truth at the earliest possible moment would have allowed the rest of the world to react probably earlier and probably more seriously," Vincent said. "The consequences (of stifling media freedom) are actually deadly."