What is the Press Freedom Index & Which Countries is Journalism Free

Since 2002, the World Press Freedom Index, published annually, has been an important advocacy tool. Its impact on governments is expanding due to its popularity, and many heads of state and administration are afraid of it being published every year. The inaugural edition of the rating was published in 2002, and the top three positions for countries were given. The analysis of the country’s state based on the feedback to the questionnaires is then weighted using this quantitative indicator. Read the full article to understand the Highest Press Freedom Evaluation criteria and the Nordic Trio of Norway.

Highest Press Freedom Evaluation Criteria

The Index’s ranking is based on a number provided to each nation ranging from 0 to 100. Here, 100 represents the best possible result (the highest level of press freedom), and 0 represents the worst. 

The highest press freedom evaluation is done on five contextual variables used to determine a country’s or territory’s score: legal framework, political context, sociocultural setting, economic context, and safety. The WPFI, i.e. World Press Freedom Index 2020, is based on an online questionnaire with 83 questions completed by 18 freedom of expression NGOs, many of which are supported by the RSF. A network of around 150 correspondents, as well as researchers, jurists, and human rights activists, all of whom were usually chosen by the correspondents. 

RSF combines expert replies to a questionnaire to estimate the level of freedom given to journalists across 180 nations and regions. This qualitative research is complemented with quantitative information on journalist acts of violence and abuses under consideration. These researchers also depend on a global network of 130 reporters.

Top Three Positions For Countries

The top three positions for countries are evaluated based on their score. Norway is a country in Northern Europe securing the first position. The score of Norway is 92.65. 

The top five countries were Denmark in the second position with a score of 90.27, Sweden in the third position with a score of 88.84, Estonia in the fourth position, and Finland in the fifth position. North Korea stayed at the bottom of the 180-nation list, and the rank of Russia was 155th out of 180 countries. 

India came up in the 150th place out of 180 countries. Nepal was ranked in the seventy-sixth position in the world. Pakistan was ranked in the 157th position, Sri Lanka was in the 146th position, Bangladesh 162nd, and Myanmar 176th in the Index. China was placed 175th in the world. North Korea, Eritrea, and Iran are at the bottom of the Index. 

Norway was ranked top in the world for media freedom, followed by Northern Europe. Denmark and Sweden round out the top three, with Estonia and Finland rounding out the top five. 

Since 2002, Reporters Without Borders has compiled the Index, which measures press freedom using various criteria such as transparency, media independence, and the media environment.

Nordic Trio of Norway

‘The Nordics’ refers to all Northern Europe’s countries with Norse influences, whilst ‘Scandinavia’ refers to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. The Nordic countries rank near the top in various national performance indicators, such as economic competitiveness, education, quality of life, civil rights, and human development. 

Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, and the Faroe Islands are Nordic countries. Every nordic trio of Norway has its own social and economic model, which can differ significantly from its neighbours. They do, however, share characteristics of the Nordic economic and social paradigm to varying degrees. 

In Norway, the right to freedom of expression is guaranteed under the constitution, as is the right to public knowledge, further protected by numerous additional laws. A uniform code of ethics governs the media sector. 

The Media Authority of Norway categorises, collects, and disseminates data on media ownership. In terms of ownership, competition authorities, for their part, preserve pluralism. News media’s “zero VAT” policy helps maintain diversity and quality. This helps Norway maintain the top position in the highest press freedom index.

Conclusion

Diplomats and international organisations such as the World Bank and the United Nations utilise the Index as a reference point, referenced by media worldwide. The Abuse measure for each nation is generated using data on the severity of violence and abuses directed at the press during the period under consideration. In many countries, the increased “violence against journalists” and a “politically oriented media” are the causes for the drop in ranking. In this article, we have discussed the Highest Press Freedom criteria and explored various facts about the Nordic Trio of Norway.