As of 2024, Eritrea and Egypt had the least freedom of the press in Africa, with 16.64 and 25.1 points in the press freedom index, respectively. On the other hand, Mauritania and Namibia obtained the highest scores on the continent, showing a satisfactory situation. The press freedom index determines the levels of media freedom in each country, evaluating the political, economic, and sociocultural context, as well as legal framework and safety of journalists. The index ranks from zero, a very serious situation, to 100, a good situation regarding press freedom.Â
Low levels of press freedom on the continent
As the index shows, some African countries lack press freedom. For instance, Eritrea and Djibouti do not have any privately-owned media, which is why they obtained the least-performing index scores on the continent. According to the index, Egypt ranked second in Africa for having the least press freedom and presented the most critical situation in North Africa. On the other hand, Tunisia had by far the highest levels of press freedom in the northern region. A survey conducted in 2020 showed that almost half of Tunisia’s population believed that the media should be free from government control.
Limited safety of journalists in Africa
Especially in the world regions with poor press freedom, journalists are often in danger due to their work. Worldwide, the number of imprisoned journalists has generally risen in recent years, growing from 145 in 2010 to over 360 in 2022. Egypt ranked among the countries with the most journalists in jail. Moreover, cases of murdered journalists are also reported every year in different parts of the world.