Paris — Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has published the 2024 World Press Freedom Index on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day and it states, "The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is the world's largest prison for journalists, and its regime conducts a campaign of repression against journalism and the right to information worldwide."
To mark World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2024, Reporters Without Borders has published its World Press Freedom Index 2024, entitled ‘2024 World Press Freedom Index - Journalism under political pressure’. RSF declared, "The Chinese regime uses surveillance, coercion, intimidation and harassment to keep independent journalists from reporting on issues it deems “sensitive”. China is the world’s largest jailer of journalists, with more than 100 currently detained."
RSF ranked Norway first in the press freedom index with an overall score of 91.89, Denmark second with an overall score of 89.6 and Sweden third with an overall score of 88.32. China is ranked 172nd out of 180 countries, with an overall score of 23.36, and is one of the countries with the worst press freedom records in the world.
RSF states, "The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is the world's largest prison for journalists, and its regime conducts a campaign of repression against journalism and the right to information worldwide."
"In the eyes of the regime, the media’s function is to be the party’s mouthpiece and to impart state propaganda. Independent journalists and bloggers who dare to report “sensitive” information are often placed under surveillance, harassed, detained, and, in some cases, tortured. To receive and renew their press cards, journalists must download the Study Xi, Strengthen the Country propaganda application that can collect their personal data," they added.
"Governments fail to protect journalism. A growing number of governments and political authorities are not fulfilling their role as guarantors of the best possible environment for journalism and for the public's right to reliable, independent, and diverse news and information. RSF sees a worrying decline in support and respect for media autonomy and an increase in pressure from the state or other political actors," the Media Watchdog said.
"As more than half the world's population goes to the polls in 2024, RSF is warning of a worrying trend revealed by the 2024 World Press Freedom Index: a decline in the political indicator, one of five indicators detailed in the Index. States and other political forces are playing a decreasing role in protecting press freedom. This disempowerment sometimes goes hand in hand with more hostile actions that undermine the role of journalists, or even instrumentalise the media through campaigns of harassment or disinformation. Journalism worthy of that name is, on the contrar," said Anne Bocandé, RSF editorial director.
