2019 World Press Freedom Index: Algeria Tumbles Down To The 141st Ranking

Algeria ranks 141st out of 180 countries in the 2019 World Press Freedom Index (-5 in 2018), which is the latest report that was issued by Reporters Without Borders, leaving Algeria in the red block compared to even a country that is leaving under colonialism, Palestine which ranked 137th, the ranking was described by the Algerian League for the Human Rights Defense as “catastrophic”.

In its 2019 report on Wednesday, the Algerian league warned against a decline in press freedom in Algeria, despite efforts by professionals, after it was an example in last years.

The human rights organization asserted that Algeria’s rank of 141 is low in the field of press freedom and its decline by twenty ranks from 121 in 2015 due to the obstacles that are facing the profession, including its survival under the publicity, which is still a weapon in the hands of the authorities which implemented the policy of carrot and stick with distinction, and publicity (advertisement) turns to rent that is distributed according to the principle of loyalty and obedience.

The organization explained that the decline of the written press due to the crisis, where the data indicate that the closure of 40 to 50 newspapers on the grounds of the inability of the National Agency for Publishing and Advertising to provide the huge number of media which is estimated at about 150, with public advertisements, which is the main source of funding for newspapers.

The report refers to the problem of opening the field of audiovisual, which remained just offices of foreign private channels, in addition to the lack of equal control organism to represent the profession by elected people and not appointed, because the appointment is an interference in the management of the press and restriction of media freedom.

The Algerian League for Human Rights Defense calls in the context to activate the role of the Supreme Council of Media and solve the problem of publicity.