Independent US watchdog Freedom House said in a study on Thursday that global press freedom declined in 2009, with setbacks registered in almost every region of the world, including central and eastern Europe, where it highlighted Croatia's negative movements.
The study, "Freedom of the Press 2010: A Global Survey of Media Independence", covers 196 countries, ranking Croatia 85th with a rating of 40 and the status of country with "partly free" media.
The ratings range from 0, the best rating, to 100 -- the worst. They are compiled on the basis of 23 questions and 109 indicators.
Croatia's rating declined from 38 to 40 because of layoffs and trials against journalists writing about war crimes, organised crime and corruption, the study said, adding concentration of ownership over private media was especially damaging to press freedom as it reduced diversity.
Slovenia was ranked 53rd with a rating of 25, Serbia 79th with a rating of 35, Montenegro 80th with a rating of 37, Macedonia 94th with a rating of 46, Bosnia-Herzegovina 97th with a rating of 48, Albania 102nd with a rating of 50, and Kosovo was ranked 108th with a rating of 53.
The rankings are once again topped by five Scandinavian countries, with Finland in the pole position.
