India’s ranking in the World Press Freedom Index has fallen further, with the country now standing at 159th out of 180 nations. This decline mirrors growing concerns over media freedom within the region, as journalists continue to confront online harassment, intimidation, threats, and physical attacks, in addition to criminal prosecutions and arbitrary arrests.
The report from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) underscores that press freedom is in a state of crisis in India, with nine journalists and one media worker currently detained. It also emphasizes that the introduction of new laws, such as the 2023 Telecommunications Act and the 2023 Digital Personal Data Protection Act, has granted the government sweeping powers to monitor and censor the media.
The analysis from RSF indicates that India’s media landscape has deteriorated since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014. The organization highlights the close relationship between the ruling party and media conglomerates, noting that Reliance Industries Group magnate Mukesh Ambani owns over 70 media outlets with a combined reach of over 800 million Indians.
The report further emphasizes that media freedom has declined across the Asia-Pacific region, with 26 out of 32 countries and territories witnessing a decrease in their scores in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index.
