Belarus is one of the top-10 states with the least freedom of mass media, a report made by the organization Freedom House indicates. It assesses the freedom of mass media in 199 countries. Crimea is in the 195th place, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are in the 196th and 197th places respectively. North Korea is in the last position, Radio Liberty reports.
The freedom of mass media reached its lowest level in 12 years in 2015. The freedom of the press was restricted in the Middle East and Turkey where governments and militants exercised pressure on journalists making them take sides, Freedom House noted.
Syria is the most dangerous place for journalists. 14 reporters were killed there last year. Three Syrian journalists were killed in Turkey. The Islamic State is suspected of the murders.
The document characterizes Russia as ‘the innovator of modern state propaganda’ that enhanced domestic information control and took measures to manipulate mass media in the neighbouring states – Ukraine, Moldova, the Baltic states and Central Asia. The propaganda at the satellite TV channel Sputnik is global, Freedom House analyst Alena Aghelyan noted.
