Rights: India has retained its position on the 2021 World Press Freedom Index at 142 out of 180 countries. In a report released by the international journalism nonprofit—Reporters Without Borders—India continues to be in the category of countries considered ‘bad’ for journalism. Other countries in this category include Brazil, Russia, and Mexico.
With “four journalists killed in connection with their work in 2020, India is one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists trying to do their job properly,” stated the report.
It also highlighted the curbs on freedom of expression on social media, citing India’s case where the “arbitrary nature of Twitter’s algorithms also resulted in brutal censorship”.
The index ranks 180 countries and was topped by Norway once again, followed by Finland and Denmark. China ranked 177, above Turkmenistan at 178, North Korea at 179, and Eritrea at the bottom.
Among the South Asian countries, Nepal at 106, Sri Lanka at 127, and Myanmar (pre-coup) at 140 have fared better than India, while Pakistan ranks at 145, and Bangladesh at 152.
The report also noted that “only 12 of the Index’s 180 countries (7 percent) can claim to offer a favourable environment for journalism”.
Read this article on the role of civil society in times of crisis.
