Finland’s freedom of the press is still one of the best in the world, but the safety of journalists has weakened.
Like last year, Finland’s press freedom is the fifth best in the world, according to the press freedom index published annually by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Although the situation of the media in Finland is generally stable, journalists are under more and more pressure, such as denigration, says the chairman of Tomittajat ilman rajoja ry Kaius Niemi.
One part of the index is socio-cultural indicators that measure the status of journalists in society. Finland is only in 14th place in this section.
The safety section of the index is even worse for Finland, as it ranks 21st.
– This means that the harassment, smearing and hate speech of journalists are far from the level that should be expected in a civilized country like Finland, says Niemi.
Press freedom under threat in Europe
Freedom of the press is not a given. The weakening of press freedom is a dangerous trend in different parts of the world. In Europe, it can be seen especially in the eastern part of the continent.
– Unfortunately, you can say that [Vladimir] Putin’s the poison is spreading in the EU. Hungary and Slovakia are cautionary examples. Politicians who sympathize with Putin take away the living space from independent journalism elsewhere as well, says Niemi.
– States and other political forces have reduced their role in the protection of press freedom. This powerlessness sometimes goes hand in hand with more hostile actions that weaken the role of journalists or even instrumentalize the media through harassment or disinformation campaigns, says RSF’s Director of Publishing Anne Bocande.
According to him, journalism should be a necessary condition for any democratic system. This year, the importance of free communication will increase even more, as more than half of the world’s population will participate in the elections.
European countries in the lead
The Nordic top three of the index are Norway, Sweden and Denmark, the Netherlands came fourth before Finland. Estonia is sixth. The top ten are all from Europe.
One worrying trend is the use of artificial intelligence to spread disinformation. The fake voice made with artificial intelligence played an important role in sympathizing with Putin Roberto Ficon in the election victory in Slovakia, Niemi says.
According to RSF, journalists are not protected enough. For example, in the Gaza war, the Israeli army is estimated to have killed more than a hundred Palestinian journalists, of which at least 22 were on duty.