Media freedom in dire health in record number of countries: Report

New Delhi: Media freedom is in dire health in a record number of countries, according to the World Press Freedom Index, which warns that disinformation, propaganda and artificial intelligence pose mounting threats to journalism. The index, released by the advocacy group Reporters Without Borders (RSF), revealed a shocking slide, with an unprecedented 31 countries deemed to be in a “very serious situation”, the lowest ranking in the report, up from 21 just two years ago. According to the list, increased aggressiveness from governments coupled with “massive disinformation or propaganda campaigns” has caused the situation to go from bad to worse. “There is more red on the RSF map this year than ever before, as authoritarian leaders become increasingly bold in their attempts to silence the press,” The Guardian quoted RSF secretary general, Christophe Deloire, as saying. “The international community needs to wake up to reality, and act together, decisively and fast, to reverse this dangerous trend,” Deloire added. Wednesday marks the 30th anniversary of the first World Press Freedom Day, which was created to remind governments of their duty to uphold freedom of expression. Media freedom decreased in last five years However, according to RSF, the current state of journalism is deemed “bad” in seven out of ten nations and “satisfactory” in only three. According to the UN, 85% of people reside in nations where media freedom has decreased during the last five years. The survey evaluates the state of the media in 180 nations and territories and examines journalists’ freedom to report on matters of public concern without interference or fear for their safety. It shows rapid technological advances are allowing governments and political actors to distort reality, and fake content is easier to publish than ever before. “The difference is being blurred between true and false, real and artificial, facts and artifices, jeopardising the right to information,” the report said. “The unprecedented ability to tamper with content is being used to undermine those who embody quality journalism and weaken journalism itself.” Artificial intelligence was “wreaking further havoc on the media world”, the report said, with AI tools “digesting content and regurgitating it in the form of syntheses that flout the principles of rigour and reliability”. This is not just written AI content but visual, too. High-definition images that appear to show real people can be generated in seconds. Govts fighting propaganda war Governments are escalating their propaganda war at the same time. As state media slavishly repeats the Kremlin line while opposition outlets are driven into exile, Russia, which already fell in the rankings last year after the invasion of Ukraine, fell another nine places. Last month, Moscow arrested the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, the first US journalist detained in Russia on espionage charges since the end of the cold war. Meanwhile, three countries: Tajikistan, India and Turkey, dropped from being in a “problematic situation” into the lowest category. India has been in particularly sharp decline, sinking 11 places to 161. In Turkey, the administration of the hardline president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, had stepped up its persecution of journalists in the run-up to elections scheduled for 14 May, RSF said. Turkey jails more journalists than any other democracy. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.