Russia Ranks 148th Out of 180 in Press Freedom Index

The international non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders has published its latest report on global press freedom. According to the ranking, Russia once again placed 148th out of 180 countries.

The report states, “The post-Soviet region and Turkey remain world leaders in the decline of media freedom. About two-thirds of the countries in this area are still ranked at or below 150th place, and the position of most continues to fall. The region’s overall index is close to matching the lowest-ranked countries in the Middle East and North Africa.”

Reporters Without Borders concludes that media freedom in Russia and Turkey has dropped to levels not seen in thirty years: “This is a worrying trend, which is exacerbated by the regional influence of both countries.”

The organization notes that “the climate of impunity [in Russia] encourages new attacks on journalists, and threats against independent newsrooms are causing increasing concern.”

Specifically, Reporters Without Borders points out that five Russian journalists and bloggers are currently imprisoned—the highest number since the collapse of the USSR. Pressure on investigative journalists and control over the internet are also increasing. In addition, the authorities have “launched an attack on messaging apps and have tightened legislative pressure on search engines and methods for bypassing internet blocks.”

Despite these developments, the report notes, “Moscow continues to present itself on the international stage as an alternative model in the field of information,” clearly referring to state propaganda outlets like RT and Sputnik.