RSF warns of pressure and reduced protection for Palestinian journalists

Paris (EFE).- Governments around the world are increasing pressure on journalists, restricting press freedom globally, for not doing enough to protect journalists, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The international community rebukes Gaza, where more than a hundred people have already died.

In its 2024 annual classification evaluating the situation of 180 countries, released this Friday on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, RSF notes that only 25% of the countries analyzed have a “satisfactory” or “good” situation in Europe. (Norway, Denmark and Sweden are in first place in this order, while Spain is in 30th place after six reforms).

Support for journalists is declining

“RSF is witnessing a worrying decline in support and respect for the autonomy of the media and a decline in pressure exerted by states or other political actors,” the report condemned, taking into account five rating criteria including politicians , which dropped 7.6 points overall.

In the United States, one of the world’s oldest democracies, RSF explains its decline of 10 positions to 55th place (“problematic” rank, third out of five) due to pre-campaign conditions in view of the November presidential election. The 2024 elections, in which Donald Trump – hostile to the traditional press – may gain power.

At this stage of the pre-election, the NGO believes that some political leaders, without specifying which ones, have “promoted defamation in the media” and “openly called for the jailing of journalists”. Said.”

Also on the American continent, there has been a sharp decline (26 places to 66th) in Argentina, a democracy headed from the end of 2023 by far-right Javier Miley, another figure to upset the traditional media.

The 2024 classification includes as a novelty the situation of journalists in Palestine following the Israeli military offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.

“We believe that the international community has not implemented the principles of protecting journalists, in particular UN Security Council resolution 2222,” Elena García, one of RSF’s spokespeople, told EFE.

More than 100 Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli armed forces, and at least 22 of them died while practicing their profession, according to the Paris-based NGO.

“Under Israeli bombs, Palestine (ranked 157th) is now one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists,” the report underlines. Israel, for its part, dropped four places to 101st.

Kremlin’s hidden hand against journalists

One of the armed conflicts with the most media coverage, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, is affecting freedom of the press and the moral and physical integrity of whistleblowers. Vladimir Putin’s Russia (up 2 places) continues at the bottom, considered “very serious”, ranked 161st out of 180. Ukraine, for its part, improved by 18 to 61st.

According to RSF, the influence of the Kremlin and its propaganda has also spread to other Eastern European countries. Belarus (down 10 places to 167th), Georgia (103 places), Kyrgyzstan (120) or Azerbaijan (down -13 places to 164th). Also in Serbia (up to -7, 98).

The influence of the Kremlin and its propaganda has also spread to other Eastern European countries that belonged to the former USSR. Belarus (dropped 10 places to 167), Georgia (103 places), Kyrgyzstan (120) or Azerbaijan (dropped -13 places to 164). According to RSF, also in Serbia (up to -7, 98).

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the year 2023 was marked by political violence during electoral elections in countries such as Nigeria (112th place in the ranking) as well as instability in Niger (80th place after a coup in July 2023). ), Burkina Faso (86) and Mali (114), all currently in Moscow’s orbit.

It is actually Eritrea, an African country, which is ranked 180th on the list.

Note downgraded in Asia

In Asia, the most populous region on the planet, 26 of its 32 states and territories have seen their grades dropped – the majority given a “very difficult” or “severe” rating – with the Taliban’s Afghanistan falling the most ( 26 position, up to 178), according to RSF, the country “that imprisons the most journalists in the world”, after North Korea (177) and China (172).

India, the world’s most populous country, remains at the bottom of the ranking (159), while South Korea, a democracy based in the region, has fallen 15 places to 62nd.

In a year before the European elections – they will be held on 9 June -, RSF warned about the dangers of technologies that create so-called ‘deep fakes’ (believable manipulation done with Artificial Intelligence) and Hungary (67), Malta Give place to. (73) and Greece (88) are the worst-ranked EU members in a “problematic” situation.

On the other hand, Poland, which will usher in a pro-European government in 2023 ending a long period of chauvinism by PiS, has improved 10 places to 47th.

World Press Freedom Award for Palestinian journalists in Gaza

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported that it awarded the 2024 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to Palestinian journalists covering the war in the Gaza Strip for “their bravery and commitment”.