Georgia lost 11 positions at once in the World Press Freedom Index

Georgia in the World Press Freedom Index fell by 11 positions in a year and moved from 103rd to 114th place among 180 countries. This is an index published annually by the international organization Reporters sans frontières, reports UNN with reference to Novini Georgia.

"The environment for independent and opposition media remains hostile, with verbal and physical attacks on journalists becoming more frequent. The adoption of laws on "foreign influence" and "family values" marginalizes journalists, subjects them to censorship and reduces the space for freedom of expression," the report said.

The organization notes that "Georgia is experiencing a new and serious political crisis after the widely contested elections to the legislative bodies held in October 2024, which plunged the country into a repressive environment and international isolation."

Problems around the world

The index assesses the state of the media in 180 countries and territories.

The five countries with the highest degree of media freedom: Norway, Estonia, the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland.

A "difficult" or "very serious" situation for media workers is observed in 90 of the 180 countries and territories observed.

The report states that physical attacks on journalists are the most visible violation of media freedom, but economic pressure is also one of the main, most acute problems. In 160 of the observed countries, the media are not able to conduct stable activities at all, or they can, but with difficulty. In almost a third of the countries, editorial offices were closed for economic reasons, often under pressure from the authorities. The economic indicator in this year's World Press Freedom Index is at an unprecedented low and continues to decline.

Russia in the ranking of "Reporters Without Borders" fell by 9 lines in a year to a record 171st place, taking the tenth step from the end of the ranking. According to the 100-point system, the country scored only 24.57 points.

Belarus and Azerbaijan, which overtook Russia, are on the 166th and 167th lines of the table. The worst indicator among the post-Soviet countries is in Turkmenistan (174th place), lower only Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, China, North Korea and Eritrea.

Ukraine is located on the 62nd line of the list. Among the countries with the highest level of press freedom are the Baltic countries: Latvia took 15th place, Lithuania was 14th, and Estonia was in second place, second only to Norway.

The United States was in 57th place, down two lines. According to the compilers, the country is experiencing a decline in press freedom for the first time, and Trump's return to the presidency "worsens the situation."

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