World Press Freedom Index 2024

06.05.2024

World Press Freedom Index 2024

Why in the  news?                                                                                                                                  

          India’s score in the World Press Freedom Index 2024 fell over the last year from 36.62 to 31.28.

About World Press Freedom Index 2024:

• It is an annual report released by the global media watchdogReporters Without Borders (RSF). It ranks 180 countries on the ability of journalists to work and report freely and independently.
• The press freedom questionnaire covers five categories: political context, legal framework, economic context, sociocultural context, and security.
• It only deals with press freedom and does not measure the quality of journalism in the countries it assesses, nor does it look at human rights violations in general.

Highlights of the 2024 Index:

• It shows an overall decline in press freedom globally and a steep rise in the political repression of journalists and independent media outlets, noting that press freedoms fell by an average of 7.6 points globally.
• Norway topped the ranking, while Denmark was on the second rank.
• The countries where press freedom is “good” are all in Europe, and more specifically within the European Union, which has adopted its first media freedom law (EMFA).
• The Maghreb and Middle East regions performed the worst in terms of restrictions on press freedom by government forces.
• Eritrea was at the bottom of the list, with Syria just ahead of it.

India’s Ranking:

• India’s rank improved from 161 in 2023 to 159 in 2024, but this was because other countries had slipped in their rankings.
• Scores for India dropped (worsened) in all but the security indicator.
• India is ranked behind Turkey, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which are ranked at positions 158, 152, and 150, respectively.

                                                    Source: The Hindu

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I

The World Press Freedom Index 2024 is an annual report released by the global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Statement-II

India has been ranked among the bottom ten countries in the index.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

A.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.

B.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.

C.Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect.

D.Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct.

Answer C