The World Press Freedom Index released this week comes as yet another reminder of restrictions journalists around the world face in covering events, particularly those exposing wrong doings by the powerful and the influential.
Finland, Netherland, Norway and Denmark snatched the top four spots while Syria, Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea were placed in the bottom four, according to the report compiled by Reporters Without Borders. The U.S. ranked higher than France (45) and Italy (77) but lagged behind Canada (18), Ghana (26), Chile (31) and U.K. (38).
The World Press Freedom Index, published by RSF every year since 2002, uses indicators such as pluralism, media independence, media environment and self-censorship, legislative framework, transparency, infrastructure and abuses and acts of violence against journalists as benchmarks to measure the level of freedom of information.
In the United States, the report refers to BlackLivesMatter protests and limits posed on reporting of the 2016 presidential campaign where, it said, reporters have been insulted and even bullied on social media.
Overall, the U.S. moved up on the ranking ladder – 41 out of 180 countries from 49 in the previous rating – but the media watchdog warned “relative improvement by comparison hides overall negative trends. The report takes a negative view of U.S. press freedom, citing what it calls the “war on whistleblowers,” and inability of journalists to protect confidential sources.
The RSF ranking assessment cites a March 29 report by NPR which has criticized policy to prevent leaks.
Instances that helped improve the U.S. ranking on the index includes a new hostage policy by the administration that include provisions for involving families more and the possibility of negotiating with hostage-takers. An American journalist, Austin Tice, is reportedly still missing in Syria.
The report features China, the Middle East, and South Asian nations India and Pakistan low on the index, with longstanding restrictions and pressures on the media and media personnel.
In spite of relative independence enjoyed by media in Pakistan, the South Asian nation continues to be in the category of countries, doing poorly in terms of press freedom. Pakistan ranks 147 in the latest rating.
The Pakistani media is regarded as among the freest in Asia when it comes to covering the squabbling among politicians, according to the report, but its ranking has been hurt by the fact that journalists are pressured and targeted by extremist groups, and powerful interests.
