Syria's improvement in press freedom ranking does not reflect reality of media

The website "The Media Line" sees in its analysis that Syria's rise by 36 places in the Press Freedom Index for 2026 represents a significant numerical development, but it does not reflect a fundamental shift in the reality of media freedom.

Syria has moved from 177th to 141st place globally, yet it remains among the lowest-ranked countries, in an environment where the media is fragile and subject to security, political, and legal considerations that directly affect journalists' work.

The analysis indicates that this improvement is primarily due to the reduction in the intensity of military operations compared to the war years, which has lowered the direct risks to journalists, without being accompanied by a real improvement in the legal framework or the independence of media institutions.

The ongoing conflict since 2011 has led to a near-total collapse of the traditional press structure, with hundreds of journalists killed and hundreds of cases of detention and enforced disappearance, according to estimates by the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders.

The analysis adds that the media landscape has become divided between official outlets and others operating from abroad, at a time when journalists within the country face multiple restrictions, including difficulty accessing information, indirect censorship, and professional pressures.

Despite some relative openness and legal amendments, laws restricting freedom of expression still exist, and the lack of media independence from the executive authority remains a major obstacle to the development of a free press.

ANHA