Reporters Without Borders denounces, in its annual press freedom ranking, the deterioration of the situation in Argentina

The election of far-right president Javier Milei quickly had an influence on press freedom in Argentina, notes Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in its annual ranking, published Friday May 3. The country plummets to 66th place, losing 26 places in one year.

Mr. Milei announced in March the closure of the public press agency Télam, which he accuses of “propaganda”. “The situation is particularly worrying” in Argentina, led by one of the “claimed predators of press freedom”estimates RSF.

Norway remains at the top of the ranking, while Eritrea comes in last place, succeeding North Korea. France is moving from 24^e at 21^e position, an improvement simply due to the “ranking mechanics”while the country’s indicators “stagnate” in reality, reports to Agence France-Presse Anne Bocandé, editorial director of the NGO for the defense of journalists.

Besides Argentina, the most significant declines are observed in Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban (178^e− 26 places), in Togo (113^e− 43), in Ecuador (110^e− 30), in Georgia (103^e− 26 places), or in Burkina Faso (86^e− 28).

Pressure increases

According to the 2024 edition of this reference ranking, the conditions for practicing journalism are poor in three-quarters of countries. Among the bottom ten are China, Iran, North Korea, as well as Syria and Eritrea, “two countries which have become lawless zones for the media, with a record number of journalists detained, disappeared or hostages”according to RSF.

The 22^e edition of this ranking notes in particular the political pressure on journalists. The specialists who contribute to the development of the ranking generally observe “a worrying deterioration of support and respect for media autonomy and an increase in pressure exerted by the State or other political actors”.

A deterioration that occurs while “2024 is the biggest election year in world history”almost half of the population being affected by at least one vote.

This classification is carried out by RSF on the basis “a quantitative survey of abuses committed against journalists” on the one hand and “from a qualitative study” the other. The latter is based “on the responses of hundreds of press freedom experts (journalists, academics, human rights defenders) to around a hundred questions”.