Brazil rose 18 positions in the World Press Freedom Ranking, published this Wednesday (3).
The index is released annually by the NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and measures threats against journalists in 180 countries.
The main reason for the Brazilian jump was the defeat in the October 2022 elections of former president Jair Bolsonaro, “whose presidential term was marked by extreme hostility to journalists, and the election of the president [Luiz Inácio] Lula da Silva, giving hope for an improvement,” according to RSF.
In general, the systematic use of fake news by political actors, misleading advertisements and digital and physical violence against journalists remain major problems for the press.
Brazil was the country that gained the most positions in the ranking this year. But the situation of press freedom continues to be considered “problematic”.
Brazil behind Hungary
In the current index, Brazil is in 92nd position, behind countries like Hungary, Guinea-Bissau and Serbia.
RSF uses five indicators to define the ranking: political context, legal framework, economic context, sociocultural context and safety for journalists.
The NGO also classifies the situation of press freedom in the world into five categories: good, satisfactory, problematic, difficult and very serious.
Only eight countries have a good situation in this regard.
The press freedom champion is Norway, a situation that has been repeated for seven years. It is followed by: Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Lithuania and Estonia – all northern European countries.
It is noteworthy that the Americas do not have any other country in this classification.
Costa Rica was the last nation to do well, but lost five spots due to political turmoil.
The United States is in 45th position and Canada in 15th.
In 31 countries, the situation is very serious and the worst placed are, not surprisingly, Iran, Vietnam, China and North Korea.
Volatility and fake news
This year’s ranking revealed enormous volatility, with countries gaining or losing many positions.
“This instability is a result of increased aggression by authorities in many countries and growing animosity towards journalists on social media and in the physical world. Volatility is also a consequence of the growth of the fake content industry, which produces and distributes disinformation and provides the tools to manufacture it”, says Christophe Deloire, secretary general of RSF.
The spread of fake news continues, according to RSF, “confusing between true and false, real and artificial, facts and narratives, putting the right to information at risk”.
The entity is increasingly concerned about “the unprecedented capacity to adulterate content to undermine those who embody quality journalism and undermine journalism itself”.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
.jpeg "Nobody is stainless")
