New Delhi: Despite talking about freedom of press in the country the 2017 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders ranks India at 136 out of 180 countries only three notches above Pakistan. Norway has topped and North Korea at the bottom of the 180-strong list of nations.
The 2017 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders ranks India at 136 out of 180 countries. The dismal rank of 136 is considered a blot on the largest democracy in the world. India has gone down from last year’s 133 rank. The report blames the rise of Hindu nationalism for the drop in ranking. “With Hindu nationalists trying to purge all manifestations of anti-national thought from the national debate, self-censorship is growing in the mainstream media,” the report added.
Released annually by Reporters Without Borders, the Index ranks 180 countries according to the level of freedom available to journalists.
The index takes into account level of freedom available to journalists while ranking them. The report found that journalists were the target of online smear campaigns by radical nationalists, who vilify them.
