The state of journalism environment in 180 countries and territories, including the Philippines, became the focus of global attention once more when the World Press Freedom Index was released in time for the May 3 celebration of World Press Freedom Day.
The global media situation report was issued by Reporters Without Borders, or RSF – Reporters Sans Frontiers in French – in its 21st edition of the WPF Index.
As we mentioned last week, RSF described the climate of journalism as “very serious” in 31 countries, “difficult” in 42, and “problematic” in 55 countries.
The Top Five are mostly Nordic countries while, interestingly, three Asian countries are occupying the bottom list – Vietnam, China and North Korea which are rated in the index at 178th to 180th, respectively.
Brazil went up 18 places to 92nd. Another big gainer is our neighbor, Malaysia, which rose by 40 notches to the 73rd position and Australia up by 12 to 27th.
Russia fell nine spots to 164th apparently due to the extent of its propaganda war in its conflict with Ukraine. The United States dropped three places to 45th.
Also going down in the index is India – by 11 places to 161st apparently due to the administration of Prime Minister Modi. A similar plummet, by 16 spots, Turkey is down to 165th.
Political instability in Peru caused ranking to drop by 33 spots to 110th. Closer to home, Myanmar is among the at bottom 10 countries – at 173rd, what with its reputation as one of the world’s biggest jailers of journalists.
Myanmar is just ahead of Syria (175th) and slightly behind Iraq (167th) and Yemen (168th).
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We follow with great interest the RSF move for the Ukrainian and French authorities investigate the death of Arman Soldin, 32, a French video reporter amid rocket firings in eastern Ukraine on May 9.
RSF paid tribute to the slain journalist for his courage while covering the war in Ukraine.
Soldin, who worked for the Agence France-Presse, was the third French journalist to be killed since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
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Here are more random thoughts shared by multi-awarded journalist, Inday Espina-Varona, a Bacoleña, during the World Press Freedom Day forum held last week in Iloilo City.
The forum was sponsored by the Graciano Lopez Jaena Foundation.
* Journalists today can relate to the oppression that Lopez Jaena, Marcelo del Pilar and Dr. Jose Rizal Rizal faced. They also understand the why’s of oppression and attacks on press freedom.
Press freedom is high on the bill of rights, together with freedom of expression, freedom to organize and to assembly, because these are the rights that, when exercised well, best ensure that all other rights are respected by states.
* Young Filipinos are not the main spreaders of disinformation. This actually comes from people of my generation, who grew up mostly knowing only government propaganda, whose formative years were bereft of tools of critical thinking that Ferdinand Marcos Sr. withheld from us and who were trained by the exercise of tyranny to blindly follow authority because it once meant life and death.
* Journalism isn’t always about breaking news. We try to dig deeper, to show how unlearned lessons fuel cycles of conflict.
* The unfinished business of accountability leads to cultures of impunity.
I talked of Joel Abong, of the Escalante Massacre and pointed out that forgetting is deadly for democracy, it is too easy to forget. Thus, the need for reminders and pointing out the links between current atrocities and the ones that went before, and the ones who got away with it.
* Young people, with all the tools of technology, can serve the country but using their skills and learning the ethics of communications (so they can also call us out when we err) to call attention to problems that need solutions but also to communities that have achieved solutions to their problems.
* That people who care about freedom of expression should work and collaborate with independent media.
Thank God, we have the breed of journalists, like Inday, whose active presence in the mainstream media assures us that our press system remains responsibly free.
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Happy Mother’s Day to all!
The following lines remind us of the strength we draw from the special person we call “mother”:
* A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary. – Dorothy Canfield Fisher
* I can imagine no heroism greater than motherhood. – Lance Conrad
* Mother’s love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible. – Marion Garretty
* No language can express the power and beauty and heroism of a mother’s love. – Edwin Chapin
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And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32) – NWI
