List of Top 10 Safest and 10 Worst Countries For Journalists; Check India Rank

For decades, the fourth pillar of democracy—the press—has exerted significant influence in reporting on controversial issues and events. A free press is essential to democracy and guarantees the fundamental right to express opinions.

However, the 2024 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reveals a disturbing trend: political authorities, who should be the index’s staunchest defenders, pose a threat to press freedom around the world. An increasing number of governments and political entities are neglecting their responsibilities to create an optimal news environment, hampering public access to reliable, fair and diverse news and information. Reporters Without Borders has observed a disturbing erosion of support for and respect for media independence, as well as growing pressure from states and other political entities.

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Norway is the safest country for journalists, while the African nation of Eritrea is the worst for press freedom.

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The 10 safest countries for journalists

A general downturn in politics has left its mark on the trio leading the world press freedom index. Despite maintaining its top position, Norway’s political rating fell. Ireland, ranked eighth, has ceded its EU primacy to Denmark and is now ranked second, just behind third-placed Sweden. Ireland’s decline has been attributed to a campaign of judicial intimidation orchestrated by politicians against media outlets. Here is the list:

rank	nation	global score
1	Norway	91.89
2	Denmark	89.6
3	Sweden	88.32
4	Netherlands	87.73
5	Finland	86.55
6	Estonia	86.44
7	Portugal	85.9
8	Ireland	85.59
9	Switzerland	84.01
10	Germany	83.84

Generally speaking, countries where press freedom thrives are mainly located in Europe, especially within the European Union, which has enacted its first media freedom law, EMFA. Notably, Ireland has slipped out of the top three spots on the index, being replaced by Sweden. Furthermore, Germany ranks among the top ten countries in terms of press freedom.

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The 10 worst countries for journalists

Against the backdrop of the upcoming 2024 elections, 2023 saw some high-profile electoral events that marked a critical moment in global history. In Latin America in particular, decisive elections were held that resulted in victories for individuals who openly opposed press freedom and media diversity. A good example of this is Argentina’s Javier Millay, whose rise has led to a worrying decline in press freedom, as evidenced by the country’s sharp drop from 26th to 66th place on the Press Freedom Index. Mire’s actions, such as shutting down Argentina’s largest news organization, underscore the seriousness of the situation. Here is the list:

rank	nation	global score
1	Eritrea	16.64
2	Syria	17.41
3	Afghanistan	19.09
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5	Iran	21.3
6	Turkmenistan	22.01
7	Vietnam	22.31
8	Bahrain	23.21
9	China	23.36
10	Myanmar	24.41

The three Asian countries that previously ranked at the bottom of last year’s index – Vietnam, China and North Korea – have now been replaced by three countries whose political status has declined significantly. Afghanistan’s political status has dropped 44 places, with the country notable for its ruthless persecution of journalists since the resurgence of the Taliban regime. Syria has dropped eight places in the political rankings and Eritrea has dropped nine places and is now at the bottom of both the political and overall rankings. These countries have become lawless territories for the press, with the number of journalists detained, missing or captured rising sharply.

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Where does India rank?

Press freedom faces a serious crisis in the “world’s largest democracy” (a term often thought of as India), characterized by violence against journalists, highly concentrated media ownership and political factionalism. Since 2014, the country has been governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a prominent leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a symbol of the Hindu nationalist right. These factors led to India’s dismal ranking, ranking 159th with an overall score of 31.28.

The report states, “Press freedom is not mentioned in the constitution, but it is protected by the right to freedom of expression. However, governments have never shied away from using colonial-era laws, such as those related to sedition, defamation and anti-national activities, to suppress the media Anti-terrorism laws are increasingly being used to target journalists. The main opposition Indian Congress party and other regional parties have also used legal provisions against journalists to intimidate and retaliate. Modi has proposed several new laws that would empower the government. Extraordinary powers to control the media, censor news and silence critics, including the Telecommunications Act 2023, the Draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill 2023 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023.

The ranking is derived from Reporters Without Borders’ 2024 World Press Freedom Index, which is based on an assessment of five key indicators: political context, legal framework, economic context, socio-cultural context and security. It is worth noting that this is the political indicator with the most significant decline, with the global average decline reaching 7.6 percentage points.

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Source: https://truongnguyenbinhkhiem.edu.vn
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