April 26 (SeeNews) - Slovenia has moved up 3 spots to 37th position in the latest edition of the World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the non-governmental organisation said on Wednesday.
Slovenia remained the best ranked country in Southeastern Europe, well ahead of Romania (46th), Bosnia (65th), Serbia (66th), Croatia (74th), Albania (76nd), Kosovo (82nd), Montenegro (106th), Bulgaria (109th) and Macedonia (111th), the World Press Freedom Index 2017 showed.
RSF explained that pressure from international NGOs that defend journalists has had no effect on the media climate in Slovenia. Defamation is still criminalized, and journalists and media outlets are often sued by well-known politicians, it added.
"Under a "right to correction" in the 2006 Mass Media Act, anyone who feels offended or insulted by a newspaper article can demand the publication of a "correction" in the same position in the newspaper", RSF noted.
Published by RSF annually since 2002, the World Press Freedom Index measures the level of freedom available to journalists in 180 countries using the following criteria – pluralism, media independence, media environment and self-censorship, legislative environment, transparency, infrastructure, and abuses.