World Press Freedom Index 2023

Source: The Hindu

Context:

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released the World Press Freedom Index 2023 on World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) (3rd May).

About World Press Freedom Index:

Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a free-floating non-governmental organisation with its headquarters in Paris, releases the World Press Freedom Index every year.

Purpose:

The report ranks 180 countries based on their level of press freedom, taking into account factors such as censorship, media independence, and the safety of journalists.

Background:

RSF has consultative status with the United Nations, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, and the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF).

OIF is a collective of 54 French-speaking nations.

However, the Index is not an indicator of the quality of journalism.

Methodology:

The Index’s rankings are based on a score ranging from 0 to 100 that is assigned to each country or territory, with 100 being the best possible score (the highest possible level of press freedom) and 0 the worst.

Each country or territory’s score is evaluated using five contextual indicators:

• Political context
• Legal framework
• Economic context
• Sociocultural context
• Safety.

World Press Freedom Day

1. World Press Freedom Day is a day proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 to raise awareness of the importance of press freedom and the protection of journalists’ rights.
2. The day also commemorates the 1991 Windhoek Declaration, which was adopted by UNESCO. The main objective of this day is to promote free and independent media worldwide.
3. The theme for World Press Freedom Day 2023 is ‘Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of Expression as a Driver for All Other Human Rights’.

Key highlights of the World Press Freedom Index 2023 are:

Top and Bottom Ranked Countries:

Norway, Ireland and Denmark are the top three countries with the highest level of press freedom.

Vietnam, China and North Korea are the bottom three countries with the lowest level of press freedom.

Improvement and Deterioration in Ranking:

• Sri Lanka has made significant improvement in its ranking, moving up from 146th in 2022 to 135th this year.
• Pakistan is ranked at the 150th position.
• The situation has deteriorated in three countries: Tajikistan, India, and Turkey, with their rankings dropping to 153rd, 161st, and 165th respectively.

India’s Performance Analysis:

1. India is ranked 161st among 180 countries, with a score of 36.62, down from 150th in 2022.
2. India’s ranking has been consistently falling since 2016 when it was ranked 133.
3. The reasons behind India’s fall in ranking are the increased violence against journalists and a politically partisan media.
4. The acquisition of media outlets by oligarchs who maintain close ties with political leaders also restricts the free flow of information.
5. Many journalists in India are forced to censor themselves due to extreme pressure.