The report which covered 180 countries states that there is an increased sense of hostility towards journalists across the world.
What is "Reporters Without Borders"?
- Reporters Without Borders also known as Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) is a Paris-based non-profit organisation.
- The aim of the organisation is to document and combat attacks on journalists around the world.
What Does the Report Say?
- The report mentioned that hatred of journalists has degenerated into violence, contributing to an increase in fear around the world.
- The number of countries considered secure for journalists has declined.
- The grip of authoritarian regimes is tightened on the media that resulted in a climate of fear.
- Norway is ranked first in the 2019 Index for the third year running
- Finland has taken second place followed by Sweden and the Netherlands
- Turkmenistan is at the bottom of the index while Vietnam and China are at 176th and 177th positions respectively.
India's Position
- India's position has dropped by two positions making it at 140th (45.67 points) as compared to 138th in the last year's report.
- Violence against journalists – including police violence, attacks by Maoist fighters, and reprisals by criminal groups or corrupt politicians – is one of the most striking characteristics of the current state of press freedom in India.
- At least six Indian journalists were killed in connection with their work in 2018. These murders highlighted the many dangers Indian journalists face, especially those working for non-English-language media outlets in rural areas.
- Attacks against journalists by supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi increased in the run-up to general elections in the spring of 2019.
- The emergence of a #MeToo movement in the media in 2018 has lifted the veil on many cases of harassment and sexual assault to which women reporters have been subjected.
- Kashmiri journalists working for local media outlets are often the targets of violence by paramilitaries acting with the central government’s tacit consent.
