Netherlands rises two places in press freedom index; Some politicians cause concern

The Netherlands moved up two spots to fourth place in the annual press freedom index published by Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF). The improved position was the result of the country scoring slightly better in the field of safety, but the journalissts' organization emphasized that the Netherlands' new ranking does not reflect a genuine improvement in press freedom in the country.

The improved score is partly due to the ongoing criminal trials against the suspects accused in connection with the murder of crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, and the case against the man who threatened to kill television presenter Tim Hofman. Another factor is that PersVeilig, an initiative to protect journalists and news organizations in the Netherlands, continues to provide the members of the media with security, support and advice when needed, and has helped reduce violence directed towards journalists.

The Netherlands scored worse in economic and legal areas. RSF said that journalists are insufficiently protected against lawsuits and illegal surveillance practices. The RSF also pointed to the victory of the far-right PVV in the last elections held in November. That result "can be seen as a risk to press freedom," because the party "wants to abolish public broadcasting and attacks the free media." The party is led by its founder, Geert Wilders.

A representative for Dutch journalists' union NVJ called it a "very worrying trend that some politicians in The Hague do not attach great importance to press freedom." Paul Teixeira added that they have "tried several times" to have conversations with the politicians who attack the news media. “But these politicians who attack the press are rejecting any attempt at open, transparent dialogue.”

The NVJ also noted that the number of reports to PersVeilig, which inventories cases of aggression against journalists, continues to increase. "There are two specific groups that are being hit hard," Teixeira explained. This includes those who are first to arrive at crime scenes and accidents, and women who face a barrage of harassment. "So-called 112 photographers, who are out in front at incidents often receive the full force from the public or emergency services. And female journalists. They are spoken to much more often about their appearance or behavior than men, especially on social media."

He added that the increase may also have to do with the fact that many female journalists are now more aware of the aggression. "In the past, people often thought, 'Oh, that physical or verbal intimidation is part of it. That is normal.' It is progress that the majority of people nowadays understand that this is not normal, and should not become normal."

Norway was at the top of the rankings for the eighth year in a row, followed by Denmark and Sweden. These three countries, together with Ireland and Finland, also made up the top five last year. Eritrea, Syria and Afghanistan are at the bottom of the index. They replaced last year's bottom three, North Korea, China and Vietnam. Every year, RSF evaluates the climate for journalists and independent media in 180 countries and territories.

Press freedom organization Free Press Unlimited wants to temper "any optimism" about the press freedom index despite the Netherlands rising in the rankings. The organization's director, Ruth Kronenburg, emphasized that press freedom is increasingly under pressure worldwide, suggesting the improved Dutch ranking is more likely associated with a poorer situation elsewhere.

"The freedom of the press is often the first human right that is violated. In addition, disinformation threatens the reliability of the media." The fact that the global political score is falling is a bad sign, Kronenburg noted.

There are more countries with worse scores this year. Last year, 52 countries rating that was either good or fairly good, but that fell to 45 this year. Political stability has degraded in many parts of the world, and there has been a "worrying decline" in support and respect for journalistic independence, the RSF said. The organization pointed out that this is reflected in the war in Gaza, where more than a hundred Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli forces since October 2023.

The new index was published on May 3, which is World Press Freedom Day. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said that "freedom of the press is not a choice but a necessity," with regard to the date. "Around the world, media workers risk their lives to bring us news about everything from war to democracy. Without freedom of the press, we have no freedom," he said.