SYLLABUS
GS-2: Important Aspects of Governance, Transparency and Accountability; Important International Institutions, agencies and fora – their Structure, Mandate.
Context: On the Occasion of World Press Freedom Day, observed on May 3, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released the World Press Freedom Index 2026, highlighting a significant global decline in press freedom and media independence.
About the World Press Freedom Index
• It has been published annually by RSF since 2002, providing a comprehensive look at the state of press freedom across 180 countries and territories.
- Founded in 1985, RSF is a global media watchdog headquartered in Paris, France.
- It has a consultative status with the United Nations, UNESCO, and the Council of Europe.
• Evaluation Criteria: Each country or territory’s score is evaluated using five contextual indicators:
- Political Context
- Legal Framework
- Economic Context
- Sociocultural Context
- Safety of Journalists
• The Index ranks countries based on a score from 0 to 100 (100 being best) and categorizes them into five colour-coded classifications.
Key Findings of the Index
• The 2026 Index observed that global press freedom has fallen to its lowest level in the 25-year history of the Index, reflecting growing pressure on independent journalism across regions.
• For the first time since the Index began in 2002, more than half of the world’s countries and territories have been classified under the “difficult” or “very serious” categories for press freedom.
• Out of the five indicators used to assess press freedom worldwide, the legal indicator has seen the sharpest decline this year.
• RSF identified economic fragility of media organisations as one of the most serious threats to press freedom globally.
• Norway retained the top position in the Index for the tenth consecutive year, while Eritrea ranked last for the third consecutive year.
- Top three countries: Norway, the Netherlands, Estonia.
- Bottom three countries: Eritrea, North Korea, China.
India’s Rank and Regional Comparison
• India ranked 157th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index 2026, slipping six places from its 151st rank in 2025.
• India’s overall score out of 100 was 31.96, placing it in the “very serious” category for press freedom.
• RSF highlighted concerns regarding the concentration of media ownership, legal intimidation, and online harassment of journalists in India.
• Among its neighbours, India ranked below: Nepal ranked 87th, Maldives 108th, Sri Lanka 134th, Bhutan 150th, Bangladesh 152nd, and Pakistan 153rd.
• However, India ranked above Myanmar (166th), Afghanistan (175th), and China (178th).
World Press Freedom Day
• Observed on May 3 every year, it promotes press freedom, honours journalists’ sacrifices, and urges governments to uphold media independence.
• It was established in 1993 by the UNGA following UNESCO’s 1991 recommendation and the Windhoek Declaration by African journalists.
• 2026 Theme: “Shaping a Future at Peace: Promoting Press Freedom for Human Rights, Development, and Security”.