The glorious event of World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) is annually celebrated on 3rd May. This year, the day marked the publication of the 20th edition of the World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). To everyone’s surprise, India secured the 150th rank among the 180 countries evaluated.
The Origin and Purpose of World Press Freedom Day
United Nations General Assembly announced this remarkable day in 1993, influenced by UNESCO’s General Conference’s recommendation in 1991. Also known as the Windhoek Declaration, it aimed at creating a ‘free, independent and pluralistic press’. The theme for 2022 emphasizes the ever-growing challenge, “Journalism under digital siege”.
The Genesis and Functioning of World Press Freedom Index
World Press Freedom Index, indeed an invaluable creation by Reporters Without Borders, has been published yearly since 2002. Being based in Paris, RSF collaboratively works with the United Nations, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, and the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF). The latter is a collective body of 54 French-speaking nations. The Index holds immense significance as it ranks countries according to the level of freedom journalists enjoy, although it doesn’t reflect the quality of journalism.
Each country or territory earns a score between 0 and 100, where 100 indicates the utmost level of press freedom, and 0 represents the worst. Five contextual indicators determine these scores – political context, legal framework, economic context, sociocultural context, and safety.
Global Performance Highlights in the World Press Freedom Index
An important observation from the report is the doubling of media “polarisation” that intensifies divisions within and between countries. Leading the charts are Norway (1st), Denmark (2nd), Sweden (3rd), Estonia (4th), and Finland (5th), while North Korea occupies the bottom position. Countries like Russia and India’s neighbours show varied rankings – Russia (155th), Nepal (76th), Pakistan (157th), Sri Lanka (146th), Bangladesh (162nd), Myanmar (176th), and China (175th).
India’s Performance in the World Press Freedom Index
In terms of ranking, India has experienced a downfall from 142nd to 150th in the 2022 index among the 180 countries evaluated. Since 2016, where it held the 133rd rank, India’s position has been declining consistently. The primary reasons for this descent are the escalating “violence against journalists” and a “politically partisan media”.
Increasingly authoritarian and/or nationalist governments exert pressure on Indian media, counted among nations with a reputation for democratic tendencies. Even with a protective policy framework, the Indian government often uses defamation, sedition, contempt of court, and national security endangerment accusations against critical journalists, labelling them as “anti-national”.
Shockingly, India ranks as one of the world’s most dangerous countries for media persons. Journalists frequently face physical violence, including police brutality, attacks from political activists, and life-threatening retaliations by criminal groups or corrupt officials. Particularly worrisome is the situation in Kashmir, where reporters often endure harassment from police and paramilitary forces.
The Scenario of Press Freedom in India
India’s Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and expression under Article 19. It doesn’t explicitly safeguard press freedom but implicitly protects it under Article 19(1)(a), which dictates – “All citizens shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression”. In 1950, the Supreme Court highlighted in Romesh Thappar v. State of Madras that press freedom forms the cornerstone of all democratic organizations. Nevertheless, press freedom isn’t unchecked – it faces limitations under Article 19(2) concerning matters of sovereignty and integrity of India, state security, friendly foreign relations, public order, decency, morality, contempt of court, defamation, and provocation to commit a crime.