Human rights and industry groups have urged the Swiss government to assist in the protection of journalists around the world.
Reporters Without Borders Switzerland and the syndicom trade union urged the Swiss government to seek the appointment of a special UN rapporteur on journalist protection.
The right of journalists to operate without fear of crime, coercion, or abuse is critical for democratic, open, and participatory societies, but resources are insufficient, according to a statement commemorating World Press Freedom Day.
According to the non-governmental organization, more than 1,050 journalists were killed in the field last year, with the perpetrators getting away with the murder in almost 90% of the cases.
Journalists in Switzerland, according to the statement, are constantly being threatened by hate campaigns on social media.
Several Swiss media organizations have raised concerns about assaults on journalists by protesters opposing the government’s Covid controls, as well as police obstructing journalists’ work at May 1 and women’s marches.
In the most recent international press freedom ranking, Switzerland continued to fall.
It is now ranked 10th, down two spots from the previous year.
According to Reporters Without BordersExternal connection, the explanations for the perceived degradation include physical assaults by protesters on journalists, police intervention, and legal obstacles to journalistic study.
The top three countries on the list of 132 are Norway, Finland, and Denmark.
