Freedom House: Kosovo lags weak in media freedom

The organisation, Freedom House, headquartered in the United States, stresses in its report published Wednesday that in democracy as well as in authoritarian states, leaders aimed at consolidating power are finding new ways to suppress independent journalism.

In the report on “and the media in 2019”, it says among other things that anti-democratic leaders in fragile democracies have tried to intimidate the media by using economic, legal and illegal means to silence critical journalists and strengthen the media.

The report highlights the worldwide impact of anti-media rhetoric used by US President Donald Trump. Journalists around the world then have reason to believe Washington will come to their aid if their fundamental rights are violated.

According to Freedom House data, media freedom has deteriorated worldwide over the last decade, with new forms of oppression applied to both open societies and authoritarian states.

The trend is more expressed in Europe -- formerly a fortress of freedoms and in Euro-Asia and the Middle East -- where many of the largest dictatorships in the world are concentrated.

In some of the world's most influential democracies, reports the report, large sections of the population no longer receive fair news and information. This does not happen that journalists have been put in prison, as may be the case in authoritarian states. Instead, the media reportedly have fallen prey to efforts to stifle their independence. Common methods include, among other things, legal and financial pressure, property cases and public convictions of honest journalists. Governments have also provided support to the media through measures such as profitable state contracts, favourable regulatory decisions and preferential access to state information. The point is that oppression serves those in power instead of the public, it says.

The report mentions Victor Orban's government in Hungary and the administration of Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuqic, who have reached <x0); successful” in the silence of critical journalism. The two leaders reportedly focused ownership over the media, on the hands of their friends.

Both countries have two points in a measurement of 0 to 4 where the score of 0 represents the smallest degree of freedom and the fourth, the highest degree of freedom.

Albania and Kosovo also have 2 points, as do all other Western Balkan countries. / TCh