Context: Global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has released the World Press Freedom Index 2023.

• India’s ranking has fallen to 161 in the World Press Freedom Index-2023 in the list of 180 countries. In 2021, India’s ranking was 150, down from a ranking of 142 on the press freedom index.

Key Findings of the Report

• Toppers: Norway, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Lithuania, Estonia, Portugal and Timor-Leste occupy the top 10 ranks in the World Press Freedom Index 2023.

• India’s neighbours: Except for Bangladesh (163), Myanmar (173) and China (179), all other neighbours have a better rank than India — Bhutan (90), Nepal (95), Sri Lanka (135), Pakistan (150), Afghanistan (152).

• The World Press Freedom Index revealed that press freedom in 31 countries is in a “very serious situation”.

• Two years ago, the number was 21 countries.

• According to the report, violence against journalists, the politically partisan media and the concentration of media ownership all demonstrate that press freedom is in crisis in India, the world’s largest democracy.

India’s Performance Analysis

• India was positioned 169 in political indicators while it was 144 in legislative, 155 in economic, 143 in social indicators and 172 in the safety of journalists.

• India’s position has been consistently falling in the index since 2016 when it was ranked 133.

• The reasons behind the fall in ranking is the increased violence against journalists and a politically partisan media.

• The other phenomenon that dangerously restricts the free flow of information is the acquisition of media outlets by oligarchs who maintain close ties with political leaders.

• The organisation asserts that many journalists in India are forced to censor themselves due to extreme pressure.

About the Report

• The World Press Freedom Index Report is an annual report.

• It is published by Reporters Without Borders, a non-governmental organization that advocates for freedom of the press worldwide.

• 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.

• The World Press Freedom Index is based on five different factors that are used to calculate scores and rank countries. These five sub-indicators include the:

• Political indicator

• Economic indicator

• Legislative indicator

• Social indicator

• Security indicator

About Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

• RSF is an international NGO whose self-proclaimed aim is to defend and promote media freedom.

• It has consultative status with the United Nations.

• Headquarters: Paris, France.

• RSF defines press freedom as “the ability of journalists as individuals and collectives to select, produce, and disseminate news in the public interest independent of political, economic, legal and social interference and in the absence of threats to their physical and mental safety”.