Freedom House: Press Freedom Losses Outnumber Gains Two to One in 2007

02 May 2008

With the exception of Slovenia, the countries in the Region of Southeast Europe were all given status of `partly free` in terms of the freedom of press, states the Freedom of the Press 2008: A Global Survey of Media Independence latest survey released by Freedom House.

Global press freedom underwent a clear decline in 2007, with journalists struggling to work in increasingly hostile environments in almost every region in the world, according to a new survey released today by Freedom House. The decline in press freedom�which occurred in authoritarian countries and established democracies alike�continues a six-year negative trend.

- For every step forward in press freedom last year, there were two steps back, said Jennifer Windsor, Freedom House Executive director.

- When press freedom is in retreat, it is an ominous sign that restrictions on other freedoms may soon follow. However, journalists in many countries of the world are pushing the boundaries, crossing the red-lines, demonstrating commitment and courage against great odds and we are seeing a greater global flow of information than ever before, adds Windsor.

Out of 195 countries and territories, 72 (37 percent) were rated Free, 59 (30 percent) Partly Free, and 64 (33 percent) were Not Free, a decline from 2006. However, the study found that declines in individual countries and territories were often larger than in years past.

In SEE, the highest rating of 26 is given to Slovenia, which shares the 46th place with four other countries, and is, together with Greece, the only country in the region with `free` status. The other EU countries in the region were ranked `partly free`, Bulgaria ranked 76th and Romania 94th of the 195 countries included in the survey.

Among the countries of the Western Balkans, Croatia is the highest rated in 78th place it shares with Botswana, followed by Montenegro (81), Serbia (84), Bosnia (97), Macedonia (100) and Albania (105).

The greatest press freedoms are enjoyed in the countries of Scandinavia � Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden � all ranked in the top six, with Belgium the only non-Scandinavian country wedged in 5th place. The world\'s worst-rated countries continue to include Burma, Cuba, Libya, North Korea, and Turkmenistan.