The 23rd Annual South Asia Press Freedom Report 2024–25, titled "Frontline Democracy: Media and Political Churn", has been released.
Key Highlights of the Report
Out of 180 countries assessed, 160 face significant challenges regarding the financial stability of media outlets, notably affected in theUnited States (ranked 57th, a decline of 2 places from the previous year)
Nepal stands at 90th, followed by the Maldives (104), Sri Lanka (139), Bangladesh (149), India (151), Bhutan (152), Pakistan (158), and Afghanistan (175).
Non-Press Freedom Challenges:
Shrinking job opportunities and freelance insecurity
AI-driven content reducing demand for human journalists
India-Specific Observations: India ranked 151st with a total score of 32.96 in the World Press Freedom Index in 2025, moving up 8 places from 159th last year.
Systemic Suppression of Media: The report states that Indian media is being “shackled” under a systemic strategy to cripple independent journalism.
Legal Intimidation: Increasing use of laws such as defamation, sedition, UAPA, and PMLA has created a hostile legal environment. These laws are often used to target media houses critical of the government.
Chilling Effect and Self-Censorship: Due to legal harassment, surveillance, and arbitrary detentions, self-censorship is on the rise, weakening press accountability.
IT Cells and Disinformation: Political party “IT cells” are contributing to hate speech, propaganda, and disinformation, exacerbating the trust deficit in media.
State Pressure Tactics:
Income Tax and ED raids
Withholding of government advertisements
Surveillance and intimidation of journalists
National Security as Pretext: Restrictions on speech and press freedom are being justified in the name of public order, national security, and countering misinformation.
Misinformation as a Global Risk: Referring to the Global Risks Report 2024, India is identified as the country facing the highest risk from misinformation and disinformation.
World Press Freedom Index 2025
Published by: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) – Reporters Sans Frontières, an independent international non-profit based in Paris. RSF works globally to defend freedom of information and the rights of journalists.
Frequency: It is published annually since 2002.
It measures the level of press freedom in 180 countries and territories.
It aims to assess the ability of journalists to report freely and safely.