Germany has once again fallen behind in the global press freedom rankings. The Federal Republic is only in 14th place, three places lower than last year, as the human rights organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) announced. The situation is still assessed as “satisfactory”, but according to the report, journalists are increasingly exposed to threats online and on the streets.
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(Image: Reporters Without Borders)
The organization primarily cites a harsher working atmosphere as the reason. Polarized topics such as Middle East reporting lead to more difficult conditions in editorial offices and increasing pressure on media professionals. Overall, many journalists reported hatred, defamation and a loss of trust in the media.
May 3rd is Press Freedom Day
According to information, the situation of press freedom has continued to deteriorate worldwide. For the first time in the 25-year history of the rankings, more than half of all countries and territories examined would fall into the “difficult” or “very serious” categories. The situation is only “good” in seven countries – according to RSF, only around one percent of the world’s population lives there.
Norway is once again the leader, taking first place for the tenth time in a row. The Netherlands and Estonia follow, among others. As in previous years, Eritrea, North Korea and China are at the bottom of the rankings. Syria saw the biggest improvement following political changes – rising from 177th to 141st – while Niger saw the biggest drop, falling 37 places to 120th.
Comparison of the situation in 180 countries and territories
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RSF sees significant regression, especially in the legal area. In many countries, journalism is increasingly being criminalized, for example through laws under the pretext of combating terrorism or national security. At the same time, wars and conflicts continue to have a massive impact on the safety of journalists.
The rankings compare the state of press freedom in 180 countries and territories across multiple criteria, including security, political environment, legal framework, and economic and social factors. It is published annually by RSF.
(my)
