Freedom of the Press - Slovenia (2003)

Status: Free
Legal Environment: 3
Political Influences: 6
Economic Pressures: 10
Total Score: 19

Population: n/a
GNI/capita: n/a
Life Expectancy: 76
Religious Groups: Roman Catholic (70.8 percent), other
Ethnic Groups: Slovene (88 percent), Croat (3 percent), Serb (2 percent), Bosniak (1 percent), other (6 percent)
Capital: Ljubljana

Article 39 of the constitution guarantees freedom of expression and the press. The media generally enjoy these rights in practice. However, libel remains a criminal offense, and the civil code prohibits insults against government officials. At times, journalists are the targets of politically motivated lawsuits. The press is generally independent of direct state interference. Nevertheless, self-censorship and various forms of political or editorial pressure continue to exist. In April, journalists at the state-run Radio-Televizija Slovenija (RTVS) threatened to strike over allegations of managerial censorship. The news director resigned soon after. With three radio stations and two television networks, RTVS is the single largest broadcaster in the country. There are 4 national commercial television stations and more than 60 independent radio stations. All newspapers are privately owned. Journalists occasionally experience harassment and physical violence in connection with their work. A notable example occurred in February 2001, when unknown individuals brutally assaulted Vecer newspaper reporter Miro Petek. The case remains unsolved, and parliament has opened a special commission to investigate the possibility of involvement by public officials.