World Press Freedom Day 2024 | 06 May 2024

Source: DTE

Why in News?

On the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day Conference on 3rd May 2024, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) released a new report indicating a rise in violence against environmental journalists worldwide.

  • It highlighted increasing violence against environmental journalists worldwide with 44 journalists killed in 15 years.
  • It shows the highest number of killings in Asia and the Pacific region.

What is the World Press Freedom Index?

  • About:
    • It is an annual report released by the global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
  • India’s score in 2024:
    • India's position has seen a slight improvement moving from 161 in 2023 to 159 among 180 countries in 2024.
    • Despite this upward shift in ranking, India's score witnessed a decline, dropping from 36.62 to 31.28 and scores decreased across all categories except the security indicator.
    • According to RSF, press freedom is under threat in the world's largest democracy.
      • Since January 2024, 9 journalists and 1 media worker have been detained in India.
    • Several laws such as the Telecommunications Act 2023, the Draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill 2023, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 extensively regulate media and censor news.
    • This report highlighted that economic and political pressures limit the independence of the media.
  • Global Score:
    • In the 2024 report Norway, Denmark and Sweden maintain 1st, 2nd and 3rd spots respectively. Eritrea was at the bottom of the list, with Syria just ahead of it.

World Press Freedom Index (WPFI)

  • The World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) is an annual ranking of countries compiled and published by RSF, an international NGO based in France, since 2002.
  • It exclusively focuses on press freedom and does not evaluate the quality of journalism or broader human rights violations within the countries it assesses.
  • The press freedom questionnaire encompasses five key categories: political context, legal framework, economic context, sociocultural context, and security.

Read more: Press Freedom in India

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ)

Prelims

Q. Right to Privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of Right to Life and Personal Liberty. Which of the following in the Constitution of India correctly and appropriately imply the above statement? (2018)

(a) Article 14 and the provisions under the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution.
(b) Article 17 and the Directive Principles of State Policy in Part IV.
(c) Article 21 and the freedoms guaranteed in Part III.
(d) Article 24 and the provisions under the 44th Amendment to the Constitution.

Ans: (c)

Mains:

Q. What do you understand by the concept of “freedom of speech and expression”? Does it cover hate speech also? Why do films in India stand on a slightly different plane from other forms of expression? Discuss. (2014)