Norway tops the world’s press freedom index for the eighth year in a row

Five indicators form the basis of the index, and this year it is the political indicator that has declined the most from last year’s measurement. RWB writes in its report that an increasing number of authorities are not fulfilling their role as guarantors of independent journalism and the people’s right to reliable and independent information.

Nordic countries are high on the list

Other Nordic countries also score highly, Denmark and Sweden follow in the places behind Norway, with Finland in fifth place.

– It is good that Norway still tops the list as the country in the world with the best conditions for press freedom. But it is not something we can take for granted, and it is worth noting that Norway also had a slightly lower score on the political part of the index than last year, says director Mari Velsand of the Norwegian Media Authority. Norway received 91.89 points in this year’s ranking, compared to 95.18 in 2023.

New European regulations will promote press freedom

Only eight countries out of the 180 included in the index have scored so high that they have been given a green mark. At the bottom of the list are Afghanistan, Syria and Eritrea.

– Freedom of the press is fundamental in a democratic society. There is therefore reason to worry that press freedom is in such bad shape in many countries, not least this year, when a record number of elections are being held around the world, says Velsand.

Freedom of the press is under pressure from state and private actors. Velsand highlights new European regulations, such as the Digital Services Act (DSA) and The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) as important regulations in the fight for press freedom. Freedom of the press is also under pressure on social media.

– Among other things, the global content platforms are required to identify risks to press freedom on their platforms. This is an important measure, says Velsand.

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