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Indian Press and World Press Freedom Index

World Press Freedom Day is celebrated on May 3rd, highlighting the annual World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders, which ranks 180 countries based on press freedom. India's ranking has fallen to 161st place due to increased violence against journalists and media being influenced by political entities, raising concerns about press freedom in the country. The Constitution of India guarantees freedom of speech and expression, but this right is subject to reasonable restrictions, impacting the media's ability to operate independently.

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9 views3 pages

Indian Press and World Press Freedom Index

World Press Freedom Day is celebrated on May 3rd, highlighting the annual World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders, which ranks 180 countries based on press freedom. India's ranking has fallen to 161st place due to increased violence against journalists and media being influenced by political entities, raising concerns about press freedom in the country. The Constitution of India guarantees freedom of speech and expression, but this right is subject to reasonable restrictions, impacting the media's ability to operate independently.

Uploaded by

abhishekkumardefence50
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Introduction to Print Media 23MJMC102 Lt Col Abhishek Kumar

Module – 5, Assessment – 5 Semester I

Indian Press and World Press Freedom Index

Introduction
1. World Press Freedom Day is celebrated every year on 3 rd May. On this day,
the World Press Freedom Index is published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
The theme was 'Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of Expression as a Driver for
All Other Human Rights’. RSF is a self-proclaimed NGO with headquarters in Paris.
It aims to protect the freedom of the press. RSF is in consultative status with the
United Nations. The World Press Freedom Index is published every year to
compare the press freedom and status of 180 countries worldwide.
2. RSF defines press freedom as the ability of individuals and journalists to
gather, produce, and disseminate the news at their own will without getting
influenced by political, legal, economic, mental, and physical threats.
World Press Freedom Day.
3. Let's understand some facts about World Freedom Day.
 The day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993,
following the recommendation of UNESCO’s General Conference in
1991.
 The day also marks the 1991 Windhoek Declaration (adopted by
UNESCO).
 To raise public awareness of the value of press freedom, the
importance of protecting journalists' rights, and the importance of
encouraging independent, free media.
India Press Freedom Index.
4. India's press freedom index has slipped to 161 ranks out of 180 countries as
per the World Press Freedom Index published on May 3rd, 2023. It has raised
concern over Indian press freedom. The Indian Women's Press Corps, the Press
Club of India, and the Press Association have released a joint statement showing
their concern over the country's dip in the index. The Indian press has been
accused of being pro-government and failing in their prime responsibility of
safeguarding democracy and raising questions against the government. Major and
Prominent media is owned by politicians or powerful entities who use media power
in their favor.
-2-
5. India’s position has been consistently falling in the index since 2016 when it
was ranked 133. The reasons behind the fall in ranking are:-
 the increased violence against journalists and politically partisan media.
 dangerously restricting the free flow of information is the acquisition of
media outlets by oligarchs who maintain close ties with political leaders.
 many journalists in India are forced to censor themselves due to extreme
pressure.
Press Freedom in India
6. The Constitution, the supreme law of the land, guarantees freedom of
speech and expression under Article 19, which deals with the ‘Protection of certain
rights regarding freedom of speech, etc. Freedom of the press is not expressly
protected by the Indian legal system but it is impliedly protected under Article 19(1)
(a) of the constitution, which states - "All citizens shall have the right to freedom of
speech and expression".
7. In 1950, the Supreme Court in Romesh Thappar v. State of Madras
case observed that freedom of the press is the foundation of all democratic
organizations. However, Freedom of the press is not absolute as it comes with
reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2), which are as follows-
 No matters will be published if it is related to the sovereignty and
integrity of India, the security of the State, relations with foreign States,
public order, decency or morality, contempt of court, defamation, or
provoking against law.
World Press Freedom Index.
8. The World Press Freedom Index is published every year since 2002
by Reporters Without Borders or Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF). It is an
independent NGO based in Paris and has consultative status with the United
Nations, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, and the International Organisation of
the Francophonie (OIF).
9. 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. It does not indicate the quality of journalism.
10. Scoring Criteria: 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 and 0 the worst.
11. Evaluation Criteria: Each country or territory’s score is evaluated using five
contextual indicators: political context, legal framework, economic context,
sociocultural context, and safety.
-3-
Conclusion.
12. There is a rise in violence against journalism worldwide. The recent reporting of
wars between countries like Russia and Ukraine, Israel, and Palestine has not gone
down well with a lot of countries and hence curtailed the journalists of their reporting.
Various social issues raised by the media in the public interest are taken as an
offense by political or powerful entities. They indulge in journalist phone taping,
system hacking, threats, and using the law against them. This has led to a decline in
freedom of the press.

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