Every year on May 3, UNESCO commemorates World Press Freedom Day to spotlight media freedom around the world.
This year, UNESCO’s theme, Journalism Under Digital Siege, will focus on the effect of digitisation on freedom of expression, access to information and the safety of journalists.
Europe ranks first as the region with the greatest press freedom. However, violence against journalists has increased, according to RSF.
Hungary ranks 92nd in the world, largely due to Prime Minister Victor Orban’s aggressive crackdown on the Hungarian media landscape. RSF says Orban has inspired other countries in Europe, including Slovenia and Poland, to consolidate their control over state media.
Norway ranked first for press freedom. In second place was neighbouring Finland, followed by Sweden, Denmark and Costa Rica.
How many journalists are killed each year?
So far, in 2022, 27 journalists and media workers have been killed, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Of those, at least 11 were killed in Ukraine since the war began in February.
CPJ defines journalists as individuals who cover news and comment on public affairs via any medium: print, online, broadcast, photographs, and videos.
This year, at least seven journalists and media workers have been killed in Mexico, three in Haiti and one journalist each in Kazakhstan, India, Myanmar, Chad, Brazil and Guatemala.
Since 1992, 2,146 journalists and media workers have been killed, according to the CPJ. At least 283 journalists were killed in Iraq and 154 in Syria.
