World Press Freedom Day 2024

Press Freedom is under attack in many places. But despite being attacked by the fascist kremlin regime, it is improving also this year in Ukraine.

Spoiler: It is World Press Freedom Day today 3 May. This day every year, Reporters sans Frontiers, present the Press Freedom Index. RSF concludes that the attacks on the media continues around the world. The attacks are carried out by the political authorities in the countries. The authorities that are supposed to be the garantors of the media.

As last year, Ukraine comes across as a country where press freedom is increasing. It increases despite being attacked by the fascists in the kremlin who strangle the media in the occupied areas. Press freedom would have been even higher had it not been for the martial law that restricts where the media can work and what they can report. Despite this, press freedom in

As usual, press freedom is weaker in autocracies than in democracies.

Press freedom is higher in Europe than in other continents where there are more autocracies. Two of the worst countries are however located in Europe, Belarus and ruzzia. Since these countries are black holes with respect to human rights, it is no surprise that there is no press freedom in them.

Press freedom in Europe 2023.

Source: RSF. Press Freedom Index 2024.

At the far right, we find the dictatorships Belarus and fascist ruzzia. Lukashenko has been in power longer than the little fascist in chief in the kremlin, so freedom has been repressed longer in Belarus. But immediately as the little person was made “president” by Yeltsin, he attacked the media.

No freedom in Belarus and ruzzia

Source: Varieties of Democracy. Note: The indicator Freedom of Expression and Alternative Sources of Information Index shows to what extent the governments respect press and media freedom, the freedom of ordinary people to discuss political matters at home and in the public sphere, as well as the freedom of academic and cultural expression? It ranges from 0 to 1 where 0 indicates a black hole.

Press freedom in Ukraine continues to improve

Press freedom in Ukraine is higher than in three EU countries, Greece, Hungary, and Malta, according to RSF. This is happening despite the fascist ruzzia kills press freedom in every piece of Ukrainian territory it occupies. Kremlin fascists kill journalists, blocking Ukrainian radio, and TV and imposes its own media on the occupied areas. The martial law also means that the media is restricted in Ukraine.

Nevertheless, according to RSF the laws introduced since the Maidan revolution has significantly increased freedom of the press in Ukraine.

Since the 2014 Maidan revolution, several sets of laws have been adopted on media transparency, access to information and the protection of journalists. The creation of the independent public broadcaster Suspilne in 2017 has been one of the most emblematic of these reforms. A new media law that was adopted in late 2022 after years of preparation has brought Ukraine in line with European legislation.

But on a global scale, it is getting worse.

The average press freedom scores decline in all continents. In case you want a comparison, here is last year’s blog post with links to some previous years discussion of the subject.