World Press Freedom Index 2021

  • India has ranked 142nd yet again out of 180 nations in the recently unveiled World Press Freedom Index.
  • The index is published each year by the international journalism not-for-profit body, Reporters Without Borders (RSF). 
  • It has been published every year since 2002 by Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) or Reporters Without Borders.
GLOBAL
  • Journalism, the main vaccine against disinformation, is completely or partly blocked in 73% of the 180 countries.
  • Only 12 of the Index’s 180 countries (7%) can claim to offer a favourable environment for journalism.
  • Norway has topped yet again for the fifth year in the row, followed by Finland and Denmark.
  • Eritrea is at the bottom meanwhile China is ranked 177, and is only above North Korea at 179 and Turkmenistan at 178.
INDIA
  • India is among the countries classified “bad” for journalism and is termed as one of the most dangerous countries for journalists trying to do their jobs properly.
  • The report has blamed an environment of intimidation created by the nationalist government for any critical journalist often brandishing them as anti state or anti national.
  • India had consistently slid down from 133 in 2016.

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