Finland ranks second in press freedom index as threats to journalists grow globally

Finland has secured second place in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders, trailing only Norway and ahead of Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. The annual ranking highlights the country’s strong legal and institutional protections for media, but the report also warns that journalists worldwide face increasing threats, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reporters Without Borders commended Finland for maintaining an untouched legal and structural framework for free media throughout 2019. The organization also praised Finnish ministries for initiatives to curb hate speech and online harassment targeting journalists. However, the report describes the coming decade as decisive for journalism’s future, with the pandemic intensifying challenges to independent information gathering and dissemination.

Jarmo Mäkelä, chair of Reporters Without Borders Finland, noted that while Europe remains a leader in press freedom, negative trends are emerging. He pointed to problems in Hungary and Poland, as well as disturbing information campaigns against journalists in Spain, Italy, Austria and Greece.

Mika Aaltola, director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, warned that even top-ranked Nordic countries are not immune. “Even in model countries like Finland, there is pressure from the state and society,” Aaltola said. He stressed that investigative journalism and critical reporting can be seen as problematic, but the media’s role is to highlight injustice and expose distortions, even when it causes discomfort.

Article source: northern-life.info | Image credit: Yle