Namibia boasts freest African press
Namibia has reclaimed her spot at the top of the list of Africa's freest press, and placed 22nd in the world - outperforming first-world countries like the United Kingdom, France and Belgium.
South Africa fell just below Namibia, followed by Seychelles, which dropped from the top as the freest African press in 2022.
In a statement, the Namibian Presidency said the media is crucial to democracy and plays an essential role in keeping the public informed and government institutions accountable. It further labelled the press as an important pillar for effective governance.
“President [Hage] Geingob will guarantee freedom of the fourth estate for as long as he is the president of this country. This demonstrates the fact that the strength of Namibia in press freedom is a function of the commitment of President Geingob and the government he leads to upholding the values of the Namibian Constitution.”
The World Press Freedom Index evaluates the environment for journalism in 180 countries and territories and is published on World Press Freedom Day (3 May). This year, it found that the situation is “very serious” in 31 countries, “difficult” in 42, “problematic” in 55, and “good” or “satisfactory” in 52 countries.
"In other words, the environment for journalism is 'bad' in seven out of 10 countries, and satisfactory in only three out of 10," it said.
South Africa fell just below Namibia, followed by Seychelles, which dropped from the top as the freest African press in 2022.
In a statement, the Namibian Presidency said the media is crucial to democracy and plays an essential role in keeping the public informed and government institutions accountable. It further labelled the press as an important pillar for effective governance.
“President [Hage] Geingob will guarantee freedom of the fourth estate for as long as he is the president of this country. This demonstrates the fact that the strength of Namibia in press freedom is a function of the commitment of President Geingob and the government he leads to upholding the values of the Namibian Constitution.”
The World Press Freedom Index evaluates the environment for journalism in 180 countries and territories and is published on World Press Freedom Day (3 May). This year, it found that the situation is “very serious” in 31 countries, “difficult” in 42, “problematic” in 55, and “good” or “satisfactory” in 52 countries.
"In other words, the environment for journalism is 'bad' in seven out of 10 countries, and satisfactory in only three out of 10," it said.
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