Freedom House Report on Freedom of Media Continues to Stall Kosovo, Albania

According to the report, which broadcasts the Voice of America, Albania and Kosovo are listed among the partially free countries, along with Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, while Serbia and Croatia are ranked among the free countries.

“Popular leaders today present a new and growing challenge for freedom of expression in open societies and intervention by Russia and China has added to the threat”, Michael J. Abramowitz, president of Freedom House.

“Sulmi to press freedom is an attack against an essential institution of democracy. The elected leaders, who try to discredit the actual and critical reporting, are undermining democratic accountability and the debate on political reason”, are quoted as saying.

On the eve of World media freedom Day, Freedom House has analysed the situation by relying on its reports of freedom in the world, countries in transition and internet freedom, under which media independence is under pressure in every region of the world, but also dedicated journalists still play a crucial role in an even more hostile environment.

The report notes that democracy faced the most serious crisis in the decades in 2017, as its fundamental principles included guarantees of free and fair elections, minority rights, press freedom, and rule of law were attacked worldwide.

Seventy-one countries suffered decline in political rights and civil liberties, with only 35 marking progress. This marked the 12th consecutive year of the decline of global freedom.

The United States was attracted by its traditional role as champion and an example of democracy amid an accelerated decline in political rights and civil liberties.

According to the organization that examined data from 195 countries, in 2017, 88 countries rank among the free countries, 59 are of partial freedom, and 49 are listed among the unfree countries.