By Michael Foley.
Ireland has scored seventh place in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) annual press freedom index, up one on last year, putting Ireland in the top ‘good situation’ category, along with a handful of Northern European states, including Scandinavia countries, Netherlands and Estonia. The United Kingdom, which includes Northern Ireland came in at 20th in the world, up three on last year.
However, under the individual, categories that make up the overall ranking, such as economic, political, legislative, social and security, Ireland comes in 24th under legislation, reflecting the failure to bring in the promised defamation legislation, including anti-SLAPPS (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) measures. The report also highlighted the number of defamation cases taken by Sinn Féin and the failure to address RTÉ’s funding issues.
Other highlights include, Palestine coming in at 163rd and one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists. ‘On top of the shocking number of journalists killed by the Israeli army in Gaza, outlets in the Palestinian territory have seen their newsrooms and equipment destroyed, and a blockade has stifled the press corps in the strip’, according to the press freedom watch-dog. The violence against journalists extends beyond Gaza, to the West Bank, where Palestinian journalists are held in Israeli prisons. RSF reports almost 200 journalists killed in the first 18 months of the war. In the West Bank journalists are subject to abuse by both the Israeli occupying forces and the Palestinian Authority.
Israel, at 112, has dropped 11 places as it continues to repress its own news media. “Disinformation campaigns and repressive laws have multiplied in Israel and pressure on Israeli journalists has intensified.’
In other trouble spots, Russia, unsurprisingly comes in towards the bottom at 171st place, while Ukraine scores 62nd, above a number of EU states, including Malta, Hungary, Bulgaria- down 11 places- and Greece, which comes in at 89th place. China, North Korea and Eritrea (last place at 180th) are at the bottom of the Index.
Globally press freedom is falling. This year the average score of all assessed countries fell below 55-points (Ireland scored 86.92), falling into the ’difficult situation’, with six out of 10 countries seeing their overall scores fall.
For the first time the conditions for working journalists are ‘poor’ in half the countries in the world. Over half the world’s populations live in the 42- countries where the lack of press freedom is considered ‘very serious’, where press freedom is entirely absent and practicing journalism is considered dangerous.
This year’s Index says media in the United States, (57th down two) is operating in an increasingly hostile economic environment, which has intensified since President Trump’s second term. However, Trump’s policies are also impacting internationally. The cut in funding to the US agency for Global Media has impacted on Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which means over 400 million people have been deprived of independent news. The freezing of USAID has thrown hundreds of news outlets, dependent on aid into economic uncertainty and forcing many to close, particularly in Ukraine.
Reporters Without Borders, or Reporters sans frontières, a Paris based press freedom NGO, compiles its Index annually following consultations and a survey of a panel of media experts, journalists, academics, media lawyers in each of the countries assessed.
Michael Foley is a member of the Press Council’s Code Committee and a member of the National Union of Journalists’ Ethics Council