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10th May 2025 (13 Topics)

State of Press Freedom

Context

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
    • Decline in advertising revenue
    • Contractualisation under new labour codes
    • Corporate consolidations harming editorial independence
  • 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.
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