Press Freedom Ranking: Switzerland Remains in the Top Group
Despite dropping two more places, Switzerland remains among the top countries in the 2021 Press Freedom Index. New Zealand and Portugal have overtaken Switzerland because their scores have improved slightly. RSF Switzerland remains concerned, however.
In the ranking published on Tuesday by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Switzerland's result remained stable. As in the previous year, it lost two places and is now ranked 10th.
It thus remains in the "white" zone of the world rankings. This includes countries in which freedom of information is best protected in an international comparison, as stated in the media documents.
However, according to RSF Switzerland, this good result could be called into question in the future. The ranking does not reflect the recent sharp rise in verbal and sometimes physical attacks on media professionals and the media in Switzerland.
"Increasing hostility"
The Swiss section expressed "extreme concern about the increasing hostility" toward the media. This had become particularly accentuated during the Corona pandemic. RSF Switzerland expects everyone to respect the work of journalists, RSF Switzerland Secretary General Denis Masmejan was quoted as saying in the press release.
Journalism is the "most important vaccine against disinformation," writes RSF. However, in 73 percent of the 180 countries assessed, it is blocked in whole or in part. In these countries, the environment for press freedom is very poor, poor or at least problematic.
Never since the start of the continuous statistics have there been so few countries in which RSF has rated the situation of press freedom as "good. Their number fell from 13 to 12; bringing up the rear, with minor shifts, remain China, the ex-Soviet republic of Turkmenistan in Central Asia, North Korea and the African country of Eritrea.
Pandemic consolidates repression
According to RSF, the pandemic strengthened and consolidated repressive tendencies worldwide: "In countries as diverse as China, Venezuela, Serbia and Kosovo, media professionals were arrested for their Corona reporting," concludes the global survey. In China, more than 100 media professionals are in prison, more than in any other country in the world.
The Nordic countries Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark continue to lead the press freedom rankings. They are followed by Costa Rica, the Netherlands, Jamaica, New Zealand, Portugal and Switzerland. Liechtenstein ranks 23rd.
Germany was knocked out of the top group, dropping two ranks and now in 13th place. "The main reason for this rating is that violence against media professionals in Germany reached an unprecedented dimension in 2020," the organization said, explaining the downgrade. The majority of physical and verbal attacks occurred at or on the fringes of demonstrations against Corona measures, according to the reporters' organization. (SDA)
