LJUBLJANA (Slovenia), April 18 (SeeNews) – The high concentration of media ownership in Slovenia is weakening pluralism and encouraging self-censorship among journalists, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Thursday.
Yet, Slovenia is the best ranked country in Southeast Europe (SEE) despite falling two spots to 34th position in the 2019 edition of the World Press Freedom Index published by the non-governmental organisation.
According to RSF, pressure from international NGOs that defend journalists had no effect on the media climate in Slovenia last year.
“Defamation is still criminalised and journalists and media outlets are often sued by well-known politicians who smear journalists in public,” the NGO noted, adding that in 2018 there were at least two physical attacks on journalists and the number of threats against journalists increased.
Under a “right to correction” in the 2006 Mass Media Act, anyone who feels offended or insulted by a newspaper article can demand the publication issue a correction in the same position in the newspaper, RSF noted.
“After minister of culture, who is responsible for media legislation, resigned in January 2019 after allegations of mobbing against civil servants in his ministry, any changes to legislation seems to be postponed,” RSF said.
Published by RSF annually since 2002, the World Press Freedom Index measures the level of freedom available to journalists in 180 countries using the following criteria – pluralism, media independence, media environment and self-censorship, legislative environment, transparency, infrastructure, and abuses.