World Press Freedom Index 2024

Governance Issues Media

Context: Recently, the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released its latest edition of World Press Freedom Index.

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’.

It is published annually by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) that ranks 180 countries and regions according to the level of freedom available to journalists.
It has been published every year since 2002.
It provides a snapshot of the media freedom situation based on an evaluation of pluralism, independence of the media, quality of legislative framework, and safety of journalists in each country and region.
It is based on the principle of emulation between states and has grown in influence over governments due to its well-known status.
The press freedom questionnaire covers five categories — political context, legal framework, economic context, socio-cultural context and security.

Threat to Press Freedom: Press freedom around the world is being threatened by the very people who should be its guarantors – political authorities.
Decline in Political Indicator: Of the five indicators used to compile the ranking, it is the political indicator that has fallen most, registering a global average fall of 7.6 points.
It indicates a worrying trend of political pressures impacting journalism.
Failure of Governments to Protect Journalism: A growing number of governments and political authorities are not fulfilling their role as guarantors of the best possible environment for journalism and for the public’s right to reliable, independent, and diverse news and information.
Increase in State Pressure and Hostile Actions: There is an increase in pressure from the state or other political actors that undermine the role of journalists, or even instrumentalise the media through campaigns of harassment or disinformation.
Lack of International Will: At the international level, there is a clear lack of political will on the part of the international community to enforce the principles of protection of journalists, especially UN Security Council Resolution 2222 (on protection of journalists and associated media personnel in armed conflict).

The World Press Freedom Index (2024) revealed a two-fold increase in ‘polarisation’ amplified by information chaos.
It refers to media polarisation fuelling divisions within countries, as well as polarisation between countries at the international level.
Norway, Denmark, and Sweden occupied the top positions in press freedom, while Afghanistan, Syria and Eritrea constituted the bottom three.

India’s ranking in the World Press Freedom Index has seen a decline over the years.
In 2022, India was ranked 150th out of 180 countries.
However, in 2023, India’s ranking slipped further to 161st.
In 2024, India’s score in the World Press Freedom Index fell from 36.62 to 31.28, but its rank improved from 161 in 2023 to 159 in 2024.
It was due to other countries slipping in their rankings.

The press plays a vital role in a democratic society. It serves as an agency of the people to gather news for them.It is the means by which people receive a free flow of information and ideas, which is essential to intelligent self-governance, that is, democracy.
In India, freedom of the press has been treated as part of the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution.
It has been upheld in various landmark judgments of the Supreme Court of India.However, as mentioned in Article 19 (2), reasonable restrictions can be placed on this right, in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the state, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence.
Hence, freedom of the media is not an absolute freedom.While the Constitution provides for press freedom, it also mandates that the press must be responsible.

The freedom of the press is a fundamental right enshrined in the Indian Constitution. It plays a crucial role in the functioning of a democratic society. However, with this freedom comes responsibility.
The press must ensure that the news they present is accurate and serves the interest of the people.
The balance between freedom and responsibility is key to maintaining a healthy democracy.
The World Press Freedom Index highlights the challenges faced by journalists and the media, and underscores the importance of a free press in maintaining a healthy democracy.
Despite the concerning decline in rankings for some countries, the index continues to be a beacon of hope, advocating for the rights of journalists and the media worldwide.