Latvia has dropped to 17th place out of 180 countries and territories in the Press Freedom Index, down from 15th place last year, according to the annual ranking published on Thursday by Reporters Without Borders.
“Journalists in Latvia operate in a relatively free and safe environment; however, political pressure on the media and limited access for Russian-speaking residents to reliable information from diverse sources remain real concerns,” the report states.
Latvia has now slipped in the ranking for the second consecutive year.
Compared to the previous year, the situation regarding press freedom has worsened in 100 of the 180 countries and territories assessed, RSF notes, adding that for the first time in 25 years, conditions are considered difficult or very serious in more than half of the world’s countries and territories.
Norway retained first place in the ranking, while Netherlands moved up from third to second place. Estonia fell from second to third place.
The rest of the top ten includes Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Portugal.
Lithuania dropped one place to 15th, just behind Germany in 14th position.
Further down the ranking, United Kingdom is in 18th place, Canada 20th, France 25th, Poland 27th, Ukraine 55th, and Italy 56th.
The United States fell seven positions to 64th place. RSF points to violence by police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers against journalists, as well as cuts in U.S. funding for international broadcasters.
The largest improvement was recorded by Syria, which rose from 177th to 141st place following significant political changes after the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
The bottom ten countries include Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, China, North Korea, with Eritrea ranking last.
RSF notes that the most significant global deterioration this year has been in the legal environment, as journalism is increasingly restricted through laws justified by counterterrorism or national security concerns.
The index evaluates 180 countries and territories based on safety, political context, legal framework, and economic and social conditions affecting media freedom.
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