Why is freedom of the press important?
All newspapers, magazines, TV and radio channels, websites, etc. that publish or show news are called press. The press checks that decisions taken by powerful people are in the best interests of the people of the country.
This information is usually published and shared with people all over the country. The ability of the press to ask powerful people questions without fearing retaliation is known as freedom of the press or free press.
Can you share an example of a free press in action?
In 1987, a young journalist named Chitra Subramaniam found that a Swedish company called Bofors did something illegal to make a lot of money. Subramaniam’s findings led to the Government of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi eventually losing power.
Since then, the press has uncovered many other incidents. If it weren’t for a free press, we would have never found out about this story or any such stories.
What’s the World Press Freedom Index?
The World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) is like a report card for 180 countries. News published by the press of each country is studied before the WPFI is published. Based on this study, each country receives a rank showing how free their press is to publish whatever they want.
Which are the best and the worst-performing countries on the WPFI 2022?
The countries with the highest levels of press freedom are Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, and Finland. The countries with the poorest levels of press freedom are North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Turkmenistan, and Myanmar.
How did India perform on the WPFI 2022?
Unfortunately, there’s no good news here. India ranked 150 in a list of 180 countries. Not just that, our rank has been decreasing for the last few years. We were ranked 133 in 2016, 142 in 2021, and 150 in 2022.
Even if our rank is bad, we have some of the bravest and most heroic reporters. They carry on doing their job despite intimidation. We are lucky to have them.
Do you want to be a journalist when you grow up?
