World Press Freedom Index 2023 Released, India’s Position Drops Amid Difficult Journalism Environment

World Press Freedom Index 2023 is revealed by the overseer of Media Industry, Reporters Without Borders (RSF). This is the 21st edition of the annual report, according to which, Norway acquired the topmost position whereas the lowest was North Korea. Norway has a self-regulated press and it is for the 7th time that this Northern European Country remained dominant. 

Reporters Without Borders is a non-profit organisation that examined 180 nations across the world and highlighted their working conditions in terms of Journalism and Mass Media. India has shown a disheartening performance in the index as it got a poor global score of 36.62. 

🔴 #RSFIndex RSF unveils the 2023 World Press Freedom Index:

1: Norway 🇳🇴
2: Ireland 🇮🇪
3: Denmark 🇩🇰
24: France 🇫🇷
26: United Kingdom 🇬🇧
45: United States 🇺🇸
68: Japan 🇯🇵
92: Brazil 🇧🇷
161: India 🇮🇳
136: Algeria 🇩🇿
179: China 🇨🇳
180: North Korea 🇰🇵https://t.co/5hHMzwc8KJ pic.twitter.com/Ji3HZcCywo

— RSF (@RSF_inter) May 3, 2023

The list focuses on the quality of the mass media environment around the globe which has declined in the past few years. It explains disturbances and changes that are simultaneously occurring in the Media Industry. These revolutions can be social, political and technological considering today’s scenario. 

World Press Freedom Index 2023

Here are the top 10 countries that enjoy the most protective freedom of the press in 2023. 

World Press Freedom Day was held on May 03 (Wednesday) this year and the report of the global rankings was also published on the same day. India got the 161st position out of all 180 countries that were given global scores as well. 

In 2022, India reached the 150th rank and now it lost 11 positions to get down to 161 which is quite bad for the journalism environment. RSS is of the view that the situation is worse than it seems. The organisation evaluated the situation as “very serious” in 31 countries and “difficult” in 42. 

Not only this, the status of the press is termed as “problematic” across 55 nations and “good” or “satisfactory” in 52. Only 3 out of 10 nations reveal satisfactory results in the worldwide record of 2023. 

🔴 #RSFIndex | The 21st edition of the World Press Freedom Index, compiled annually by RSF, sheds light on major and often radical changes linked to political, social and technological upheavals. #WPFD2023 pic.twitter.com/s2NDg1xpoA

— RSF (@RSF_inter) May 3, 2023

Some Changes in the Recent Years

As far as this year’s report is concerned, Norway has attained the feat for the 7th consecutive year as it is again on the first rank with a global score of 95.18. However, there are some changes witnessed in the country's media situation as it got improved or worse this year.

Ireland which came second on the list has elevated 4 positions since last year and left behind Denmark this time. While Denmark was at 2nd so in 2023, the nation manages to be at 3rd. Moreover, the Netherlands shows a remarkable lift as it reached 6th rank by acquiring 22 places ahead of many countries. 

In 2021, the Netherlands had this feat but when Crime Reporter Peter R. de Vries was assassinated, its ranking declined in 2022. However, it is good that the nation has regained its position. Talking about which countries came last in 2023, the list marks that Asian countries have occupied the places namely Vietnam (178th), China (179th) and North Korea (180th). 

🔴 #RSFIndex | There are changes at the bottom of the index, too. The last 3 places are occupied solely by Asian countries: Vietnam (178th), China (179th) and North Korea (180th).#WPFD2023#WorldPressFreedomDay pic.twitter.com/DlaTn6K0KT

— RSF (@RSF_inter) May 3, 2023

As per the analysis, these Asian countries especially China and North Korea have been in the spotlight as they are considered the biggest jailer of journalists in the world and the biggest exporter of propaganda or manipulation-based content, stated RSF International Media Outlet. 

Reasons for India’s Downturn

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has elucidated the matter of India’s decline in a decade as in 2013, the country was in 133 rank. Since then, media freedom got disappeared in the air. The report says that leading autocrats in India have taken over the media business who are closely allied to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The organisation asserted that these people have damaged pluralism and also claims about the rising outcomes of the fake content industry on the existing media industry. These facts were profoundly studied by RSF.

The journalists are caught in a ferocious net where freedom is at stake in a secular and democratic country like India. In terms of security, Russia and Ukraine have been in the headlines as their conflicts are constantly at their peak. 

Time for all of us to hang our heads in shame: India slips in World Press Freedom Index, ranks 161 out of 180 countries https://t.co/fsHM0cmq9o

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 3, 2023

Factors to Measure Press Freedom

The World Press Freedom Index consists of 5 variables and the global scores are calculated after carefully reviewing the possibilities of countries' rankings. The five sub-indicators are as follows:-

• Political Indicator
• Economic Indicator
• Legislative Indicator
• Social Indicator 
• Security Indicator

The most worrying thing for countries is the Security collapse where only a few of the nations have made it to provide a healthy and safer environment for journalists, reporters and all other media people. The security indicator signifies the capacity to identify, collect and circulate news and information complying with journalistic methods and ethics or moral values. 

It involves disseminating useful and necessary content without any physical harm, psychological or emotional anguish or professional maltreatment which is job loss, seizing one’s professional equipment or looting media assemblages. 

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