WORLD PRESS FREEDOM INDEX 2019

Key highlights of the Index:

• Top rankers: Norway is ranked first while Finland is second placed.
  
  
• Bottom rankers: Turkmenistan (at 180th) is now last, replacing North Korea (up one at 179th). China is ranked at 177th.
  
  
• South Asia: South Asia in general features poorly on the index, with Pakistan dropping three places to 142, and Bangladesh dropping four places to 150.
  
  

Indian scenario:

• India has dropped two places to be ranked 140th out of 180 countries.
  
  
• Violence against journalists including police violence, attacks by Maoist fighters and reprisals by criminal groups or corrupt politicians is a striking characteristics of the press freedom in India.
  
  
• At least six Indian journalists were killed in connection with their work in 2018.
  
  
• Attacks against journalists increased in the run-up to general elections in the spring of 2019.
  
  
• There is an alarming rate of coordinated hate campaigns waged on social networks against journalists who dare to speak or write about subjects that annoy Hindutva.
  
  
• Coverage of sensitive regions, such as Kashmir, continues to be very difficult. Foreign reporters are barred from Kashmir and the Internet is often disconnected there.