Press freedom is worst in India than in Pakistan: RSF

India slips 11 positions on World Press Freedom Index ranking 161, while Pakistan rises 7 steps and ranks at 150th. The 21st edition of the World Press Freedom Index, compiled annually by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reports.

According to the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, the situation is very serious for journalists in 31 countries. The report evaluates the environment for journalism in 180 countries and territories, published on World Press Freedom Day (3 May). Norway is in first position for the seventh year running, the safest place for journalists. A non-Nordic country Ireland has ranked second ahead of Denmark. But the situation is “difficult” in 42, “problematic” in 55, and “good” or “satisfactory” in 52 countries.

The environment for journalism is “bad” in seven out of ten countries, and satisfactory in only three out of ten.

At the bottom of the Index

There are changes at the bottom of the Index, too. The last three places are occupied solely by Asian countries: Vietnam (178th), which has almost completed its hunt of independent reporters and commentators; China (down 4 at 179th), the world’s biggest jailer of journalists and one of the biggest exporters of propaganda content; and, to no great surprise, North Korea (180th).

The Asia-Pacific continues to have some of the world’s worst regimes for journalists. Myanmar (173rd), the world’s second biggest jailer of journalists since the military coup in February 2021. The situation has gone from “problematic” to “very bad” in three other countries: Tajikistan (down 1 at 153rd), India (down 11 at 161st), and Turkey (down 16 at 165th). The report released by RSF, indicates a decline in India’s ranking for press freedom.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) continue to be the world’s most dangerous region for journalists, with a situation classified as “very bad” in more than half of its countries. The very low score of some countries, including Syria (175th), Yemen (168th), and Iraq (167th), is due in particular to the large number of journalists who are missing or held hostage.

 Fake content industry

The 2023 Index spotlights the rapid effects that the digital ecosystem’s fake content industry has had on press freedom. In 118 countries (two-thirds of the 180 countries evaluated by the Index), most of the Index questionnaire’s respondents reported that political actors in their countries were often or systematically involved in massive disinformation or propaganda campaigns.

The remarkable development of artificial intelligence is wreaking further havoc on the media world. The disinformation industry disseminates manipulative content on a huge scale.