May 4 (SeeNews) - Greek media continue to be the most restricted in the EU and in Southeast Europe (SEE), as the surveillance on journalists by intelligence agencies and via the Predator spyware was the most severe violation of press freedom in the bloc in 2022, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said.
Greece gained one position and now ranks 107th among 180 countries in RSF's 2023 World Press Freedom Index, according to data published by the non-profit, non-governmental organisation on Wednesday. The country's score fell slightly, to 55.2 points from 55.52 points in 2022.
Bulgaria, on the other hand, moved up 20 ranks to the 71st position. Yet, "intimidation from politicians as well as administrative and judicial pressures against publishers and journalists are a common practice," the RSF said. Journalists in Bulgaria face ongoing threats and physical assaults, while the authorities' reluctance to investigate or condemn them poses an even greater challenge.
At 28th place, Moldova once again ranked the highest in the index among SEE countries, after going up 12 places. According to RSF, the state of emergency after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and measures by the Broadcasting Council have tightened control over disinformation and hate speech, weakening Russian propaganda in the media.
North Macedonia came in at 38th place, up from 57th in 2022, given the challenges posed by widespread misinformation and the declining trust in the media, which puts independent outlets at risk of threats and attacks.
Although Croatia's government fails to protect journalists against organised crime and legal efforts to silence them, the country took the 42nd position in the ranking, compared to 48th a year ago.
Slovenia rose four positions to 50th place as a result of an alleviated climate of hostility toward journalists following the departure of prime minister Janez Jansa in 2022 and a strong legal framework that backs press freedom.
Romania's standing also improved, to the 53rd position in the ranking from 56th, due to its diverse and pluralistic media landscape that fosters investigations of public interest.
Montenegro and Kosovo both went up in the ranking, to 39th and 56th place, respectively, while Bosnia and Herzegovina advanced three places to 64th. Albania climbed to the 96th position from 103rd last year.
Serbia, where pro-government media spread Russian propaganda, was the only country in the region to fall in the ranking, to 91st place from 79th in 2022. Despite a solid legal framework, journalists still face threats from political pressure and a lack of accountability for crimes committed against them, RSF said.