Pakistan’s press freedom ranking goes up, but challenges remain
Pakistan has moved up seven places in Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) Press Freedom Index 2023. However, the country has also been termed as one of the “world’s deadliest countries for journalists”.
As the world observed Press Freedom Day on May 3, RSF published its annual report on press freedom around the world. The index ranks 180 countries based on the level of freedom journalists have in each country, taking into account factors such as censorship, legal restrictions, and violence against journalists.
According to the report, Pakistan moved up to the 150th position this year, compared to 157th position last year. Despite the improvement in ranking, the report also highlighted that Pakistan remains one of the deadliest countries for journalists.
The report stated that journalists in Pakistan face threats from both state and non-state factors, and often become targets for their reporting on sensitive issues such as corruption, human rights violations, and religious extremism.
“Ever since its founding in 1947, Pakistan has oscillated between civil society’s quest for greater press freedom and the political and military elite’s constant reassertion of extensive control over the media,” the organisation said in its report.
Pakistan has improved its ranking by seven places in the latest World Press Freedom Index after “changes of government loosened constraints on the media,” international media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in its annual report, released on Wednesday to coincide with World Press Freedom Day.
Pakistan is counted among the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists. Last year, the RSF said 93 journalists had been killed over the past 20 years in the South Asian nation where incidents of arrests, media censorship, online abuse, and physical attacks against journalists are common.
“Changes of government loosened constraints on the media in Pakistan (150th) and the Philippines (132nd), even if these two countries continue to be among the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists,” the report added.
The RSF, in its 2023 analysis, further added: “Despite changes in political power, a recurring theme is apparent: political parties in opposition support press freedom but are first to restrict it when in power”.
“As the military has tightened its grip on civilian institutions, coverage of military and intelligence agency interference in politics has become off limits for journalists,” said RSF.
India, on the other hand, lost its position from 2022 and scored a lower rank this year, coming in at 161 in the 2023 edition of the Press Freedom Index
This made the country rank below Pakistan.
The report stated that journalists in India face an increasing level of violence and intimidation, with several journalists being attacked, arrested or killed for their reporting.
The top three countries in the index were Norway, Ireland, and Denmark, respectively.
Other countries in the top 10 of the index were Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Lithuania, Estonia, Portugal, and Timor-Leste. Switzerland was ranked 12th, with New Zealand and Canada being ranked 13th and 15th, respectively.
The official report evaluates each territory’s score using five contextual indicators – political context, legal framework, economic context, sociocultural context, and safety.
Source: Samaa
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