LEGAL HARASSMENT OF INDIAN INDEPENDENT MEDIA HAS REACHED A CRITICAL LEVEL: RSF AT DELHI PRESSER

Mon 19 May 2025:

RSF also called for the immediate release of media professionals detained for doing their job and for the abusive legal proceedings against them to be dropped.

New Delhi: The organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has noted a decline in the media economy and worsening conditions for journalism in India.

In a press conference on May 16, at the Press Club of India in New Delhi, the RSF presented a “damning analysis” of the state of press freedom in India.

RSF is the organisation which releases the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index, in which India ranks 151st out of 180 countries. The RSF noted that India’s progress in the 2025 Index – it is up eight places from the 2024 one – is deceptive, as its overall score has only increased marginally.

Thibaut Bruttin, RSF director general, and Célia Mercier, head of the RSF’s South Asia desk noted how the non-governmental organisation defines press freedom: journalists’ ability to operate without security, political, legal, social, or economic constraints.

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Bruttin said:

“India is the world’s largest democracy, and its electoral process cannot take place without a public debate grounded in facts, which are brought to light by journalists. We call on journalists to look past divisions and unite around the ideal of delivering trustworthy information that serves the public interest. There is no need to be fatalistic: RSF stands with Indian journalists in these difficult times and is ready to work with local, federal, and national authorities of goodwill to implement actions and reforms that could improve the country’s ranking. RSF’s presence reflects a strong commitment to engage with these issues, which are essential to Indian society.”

RSF also called for the immediate release of media professionals detained for doing their job and for the abusive legal proceedings against them to be dropped.

The global body called for an end to impunity for crimes committed against journalists, noting that two to three journalists have died each year over the past decade. “A protection mechanism could be established, and investigations must prioritise looking into the victim’s journalistic work as motives behind such attacks,” it said.

The RSF also noted how media raids and the arrests of journalists are often carried out under the guise of anti-terrorism laws or tax regulations. “This judicial harassment has reached a critical level for independent news media, and authorities regularly implement legislation that falls outside the proper legal framework applicable to the press,” it said.

It also condemned the increasingly severe restrictions on access to reliable information in Kashmir and several northeastern states, and the challenges to accessing sources and data, which journalists need to be able to report properly.

The NGO also called on the government to establish a transparent visa system for foreign journalists amid the growing obstacles faced by foreign journalists seeking to cover current events in India.

Finally, RSF advocated for legislative reforms that would help limit conglomerates’ growing control of traditional media outlets and provide a framework to regulate social media platforms. These reforms, according to RSF, should include exemptions for recognised press outlets identified through national accreditation mechanisms or international professional standards, such as the Journalism Trust Initiative.

“RSF is also issuing a reminder that India is a signatory to the International Partnership on Information and Democracy, an initiative launched by RSF, and calls on the government to make use of this forum for dialogue and exchange between nations,” its press release said.

This article is republished from The Wire. Read the original article.