Press freedom under attack amid pandemic

As the world marked World Press Freedom Day on May 3, advocates across the globe called for the protection of journalists and press freedom, in particular amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

To contain the spread of the virus, several countries have imposed hardline measures, including some that significantly limit fundamental freedoms. Journalists and whistleblowers are among those worst-hit by the Coronavirus crisis, as due to their Coronavirus coverage and information, they are being accused of spreading “fake news,” whilst trying to share valuable information with the public. As a result, they are frequently harassed, threatened, fined and even imprisoned for revealing flaws in government policies.

“As the pandemic spreads, it has also given rise to a second pandemic of misinformation, from harmful health advice to wild conspiracy theories,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on World Press Freedom Day.

The World Press Freedom Index published on April 21 by the Reporters Without Borders (RSF), presented the media freedom situation worldwide, by ranking 180 countries, according to the level of freedom available to journalists.

The RSF findings were compiled through a combination of questionnaire responses and quantitative data on abuses and acts of violence against journalists during the period evaluated. The questionnaire’s criteria include pluralism, media independence, media environment and self-censorship, legislative framework, transparency, and the quality of the infrastructure that supports the production of news and information.

In Europe, Norway tops the index, as the country has taken numerous steps in ensuring the broadest possible participation in the public debate, tackling spread of fake news and hate speech, and ensuring journalists’ access to information.

On the contrary, Bulgaria ranked last, as according to the index analysis, “corruption and collusion between media, politicians and oligarchs is widespread in the country.” In an overall scale, the country ranked 111th out of 180 countries, with North Korea and Turkmenistan finishing last on the media freedoms landscape.

Hungary was among the countries with the worst score across Europe, ranking 89th out of 180. According to RSF, “things do not improve” in the country, where the pro-government media foundation, namely the Central European Press and Media Foundation (KESMA) still dominates the media landscape, while there is limited access to information, censorship and prejudiced selection of media staffing.

On March 30, the Hungarian parliament adopted a law that gives the country’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán extraordinary powers to rule by decree during the state of emergency, without a clear cut-off date. The law foresees, among others, hefty fines and even imprisonment for those publishing Covid-19 related news that are deemed by the government fake or distorted and interfering with the “successful protection” of the public.