Press Freedom Rankings 2024: Netherlands Ranks 4th with Challenges

After Norway, Denmark and Sweden, the Netherlands had the highest level of press freedom in the world last year. This is evident from an annual report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Onward ranked by 180 countries The Netherlands has moved up two places, from 6th to 4th in 2021 to stumble The Netherlands still rose to 28th place after the murder of crime journalist Peter R. de Vries.

The report says that there are “significant challenges” in the Netherlands, but that institutions structurally protect free and independent journalism. According to the researchers, it is also positive that Amsterdam is important reserve has become for Russian journalists who have fled their country for security reasons.

PVV’s election victory in the House of Representatives elections in November is also mentioned. “Although the PVV wants to abolish public broadcasting and attacks on free media can be seen as a threat to press freedom, the country is still ruled by the government led by Mark Rutte.”

Nevertheless, RSF emphasizes to ANP that “the new situation in the Netherlands does not show a real improvement in the freedom of the press.

At the Dutch agency PersVeilig, journalists reported an event 218 times last year, it was reported in January recognized. In most cases it was a threat, often verbally or on social media. Female journalists and 112 photographers often suffer.

The Freedom of the Press Fund cites examples of incidents involving journalists, including the dangerous situation surrounding broadcaster Tim Hofman frustration from journalists at the Sunneklaas party on Ameland and a hit for a reporter from Omroep Gelderland who made a report in Arnhem.

The three countries above the Netherlands are Norway, Denmark and Sweden. Ireland was in second place last year, but has now fallen to eighth place due to the media coverage of the politicians’ trial. Turkey also scores lower and is now in 158th place re-election of President Erdogan is considered a cause for concern by the authors of the report.

According to the researchers, freedom of the press has decreased worldwide. In only 45 countries they rate the situation of journalists very well. Last year it was still involved in 52 countries.

The USA is found in 55th place, Russia in 162nd place out of a total of 180 countries. Afghanistan, Syria and Eritrea are at the bottom of the list when it comes to press freedom. Syria and Eritrea are “lawless zones” for media workers, according to Reporters Without Borders. Many journalists have been arrested, disappeared and journalists have been held hostage.

When they publish the list, the Free Press Unlimited, which is based in the Netherlands, draws special attention to the situation in the Palestinian territories (which is in 157th place). That’s it for journalists last year most deadly area on earth. Reporters Without Borders says more than a hundred Palestinian reporters have been killed by the Israeli army, at least 22 of them in the line of duty.

Free Press Unlimited says it is “almost impossible” to support journalists and their families in these areas. “This crisis is the most challenging we’ve seen in our work in emergency response.”