The reality for European journalists is becoming increasingly bleak, although EU leaders have consistently declared their support for press freedom
According to the latest World Press Freedom Index figures from Reporters Without Borders, the ratings of Germany, Estonia, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Greece, Hungary and Bulgaria have fallen since 2020.
The organisation says the EU is “struggling to protect values”, but laws restricting the flow of information, the politicisation of state media and attacks on journalists are not conducive to press freedom.
Greece, Malta, Hungary and Bulgaria have the worst ratings. Nevertheless, the authors of the report are concerned about the problems faced by journalists in western EU countries.
“In both east and west of the continent, new legislation restricting the right to information has made it easier to arrest and detain journalists”, – the NGO stressed.
In addition, media workers face aggression from extremist groups.
The report was released after Giorgos Karaivaz, a journalist covering crime stories for the private TV station Star, was shot dead in the street in Greece. The incident was the fourth massacre of media workers in the last five years in Europe.