World Press Freedom Index 2022

Why in news?

• The World Press Freedom Index 2022 has been released.

About the index:

• It aims to assess the state of journalism in 180 countries and territories.
• It is released by Reporters Without Borders(RSF).

Indicators:

• The index ranks countries based on five indicators:
  • Political context, legal framework, economic context, sociocultural context and security.

Key findings:

• Top Positions: Norway (1st), Denmark (2nd), Sweden (3rd)
• North Korea remained at the bottom of the list.
• The index has found a two-fold increase in “polarization” amplified by information chaos, that is, media polarization fuelling divisions within countries as well as polarization between countries at the international level.

India’s performance:

• India’s ranking in the Index has fallen down to 150th position in 2022 from 142nd rank in 2021.
• India’s ranking has fallen on the back of increased violence against journalists and politically partisan media which has landed press freedom in a state of “crisis” in India.

PRACTICE QUESTION

World Press Freedom Index is published by:

(a) International Press Institute (IPI)

(b) Reporters Without Borders

(c) International News Safety Institute

(d) UNESCO

Answer