The World Press Freedom Index is determined and ranked using five main parameters. The Political indicator, Economic indicator, Legislative indicator, Social indicator, and Security indicator are among the five sub-indicators. Scores are assigned to each of these indicators and used to figure out the nation’s overall score regarding press freedom.
India has fallen 11 places – from 150 to 161 – in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index of 180 countries released annually by an international non-profit organisation. In the 2022 report, India’s rank dropped from 142 to 150. So, the trend suggests that the situation in India is getting worse each year. Except for Nepal, all of India’s neighbors have dropped on the index, with Pakistan at 157, Sri Lanka at 146, Bangladesh at 162, and Myanmar at 176.
“In other words, the environment for journalism is “poor” in seven of ten countries and “satisfactory” in only three of ten,” the report stated. “The World Press Freedom Index shows enormous volatility in situations, with major rises and falls and unprecedented changes, such as Brazil rising 18 places and Senegal falling 31 places.” This insecurity is the result of heightened aggressiveness by authorities in many nations, as well as growing hostility against journalists on social media and in the physical world.
“Volatility is also a result of growth in the fake content industry, which produces and distributes disinformation and provides the tools for its production,” stated RSF Secretary-General Christophe Deloire in the report. While India has consistently ranked low in recent years, it has dropped to the lowest this year. The union administration stated in February last year that it is not in agreement with the opinions and country rankings included in the World Press Freedom Index because it was released by a “foreign” NGO.
Reasons for the Decline
“Indian law is protective in theory but charges of defamation, sedition, contempt of court, and endangering national security are increasingly used against journalists critical of the government, who are branded as ‘anti-national’,” said the latest report released on May 3, 2023.
“The role of the media in developing democracies in the Global South, where deep pockets of inequity exist, cannot be overstated.” Similarly, the restrictions on press freedom imposed by unfriendly working conditions such as contractorization must be resisted. Uncertain working conditions can never help a free press,” it also stated.
“The violence against journalists, the politically partisan media, and the concentration of media ownership all demonstrate that press freedom is in crisis in the world’s largest democracy, which has been ruled since 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the embodiment of the Hindu nationalist right,” according to the report.
“The acquisition of media outlets by oligarchs with close ties to political leaders is another phenomenon that dangerously restricts the free flow of information,” the report, issued on World Press Freedom Day, stated.
Countries Below India
In the latest edition of the report, countries that ranked below India include Bangladesh, Russia, Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Syria, Iran, Vietnam, China, and North Korea.
Concerns About Press Freedom in India
The Press Club of India, the Indian Women’s Press Corps, and the Press Association have all expressed worry about India’s drop in the ranking. These organisations have expressed their concern about the deterioration of India’s press freedom index and the restrictions on press freedom imposed by resentful workplace environments.
World Press Freedom Index 2023- Global List
Top 10 Countries List
1 Norway
2 Ireland
3 Denmark
4 Sweden
5 Finland
6 Netherlands
7 Lithuania
8 Estonia
9 Portugal
10 East Timor
Bottom 10 Countries List
171 Bahrain
172 Cuba
173 Myanmar
174 Eritrea
175 Syria
176 Turkmenistan
177 Iran
178 Vietnam
179 China
180 North Korea