On May 3, 2024, on World Press Freedom Day, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published its annual report, highlighting a global deterioration in the situation. This edition emphasizes insufficient protection of journalism by states and an increase in attacks on freedom of information.
An increasingly hostile political environment
Among the five indicators of the RSF index, it is the “political context” that shows the sharpest decline in 2024, with an overall drop of 7.6 points. As half of the world’s population is called to the polls this year, RSF warns of the decline in state accountability and the instrumentalization of the media in disinformation and harassment campaigns.
In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, media censorship is intensifying, taking up repressive methods inspired by the Russian model. Belarus (167th), Russia (162nd), Azerbaijan (164th), and Kyrgyzstan (120th) are among the countries where the situation is worsening. In Europe, Hungary, Malta, and Greece are also singled out.
The rise of disinformation and deepfakes
Disinformation is intensifying with the growing use of generative artificial intelligence. A striking example is the case of Monika Todova in Slovakia, who was the victim of an audio deepfake before the legislative elections, contributing to the spread of pro-Russian false information.
In more than three-quarters of countries, political actors actively participate in propaganda and disinformation campaigns, and in 31 countries, this involvement is considered “systematic.”
Freedom of the press in the Balkans
In the Balkans, the state of press freedom remains worrying, although it varies between countries.
- Albania: Press freedom is hindered by media concentration and political pressure. Critical journalists face threats and intimidation.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Political and ethnic divisions influence the media, which are often used as propaganda tools. Attacks on journalists are increasing.
- Montenegro: While private press plays an important role, government pressure and physical attacks against journalists remain a reality.
- Kosovo: The situation is more favorable, but journalists are sometimes threatened when investigating corruption or war crimes.
- Serbia: Press freedom has deteriorated in recent years, with media concentration under the control of interests close to the government and widespread self-censorship.
- North Macedonia: Although progress has been made, political interference and defamation against journalists remain persistent problems.
World ranking: press freedom under pressure
Out of the 180 countries assessed by RSF, 36 are ranked in the worst category (“very serious”), 49 in a “difficult situation” and 50 in a “problematic situation”. Only 52 countries are considered to have press freedom that is “good” or “fairly good.”
The Nordic countries dominate the ranking with Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and the Netherlands at the top. At the opposite end, the countries where the press is most repressed are Afghanistan (-44 places in the political indicator), which, under Taliban rule, continues to drastically restrict journalism, Syria, and finally Eritrea.
How can you assess the reliability of a source?
To determine whether a source is reliable, a journalist must ask several questions:
- Who is the author? Does the information come from a recognized expert or from an unqualified person?
- What is the publication date? Old information may be outdated.
- Which media outlet or organization is publishing the information? Some media have editorial lines influenced by political or economic interests.
- Does the source have conflicts of interest? A company funding a study on its own product may bias the results.
A major challenge for democracy
In this context, RSF calls for increased mobilization to protect the independence of the media and guarantee the right to information. With technological advances and the multiplication of disinformation campaigns, press freedom remains an essential pillar of democracy.
Link to the RSF interactive map: https://rsf.org/fr/classement
