Ukraine rose from 106th to 79th place in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders on May 3.
According to Reporters Without Borders, the index is determined by several factors, including a given country’s security, legal framework, and economic, political, and socio-cultural contexts.
The biggest problem facing journalists worldwide is security, according to the organization.
"They are attacked at demonstrations, die in armed conflicts, are deliberately murdered, arbitrarily arrested or sentenced to long prison terms," Reporters Without Borders wrote.
Multiple journalists have been killed covering Russia's all-out war against Ukraine. On April 26, an Italian correspondent for la Repubblica was injured and his Ukrainian fixer was killed after likely being ambushed by Russian snipers in Kherson Oblast.
Russian forces have repeatedly targeted both Ukrainian and foreign journalists since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Regarding the overall press situation in the world, Reporters Without Borders wrote that it "has been more unstable in the past year than it has been for a long time" due to "crises, wars, and the continuing spread of authoritarianism."
Alexander Khrebet
