-Press Note by Foundation for Media Professionals (FMP), dated 28 May, 2018 Mr Narendra Modi is perhaps the first Prime Minister of India to have not held a single press conference, four years at a stretch. This could not however have been unrelated to a series of events that raise fresh concerns about media freedom. The concerted online hate campaign against journalist Ms Rana Ayyub, and the circulation of a fake pornographic...

  There is some bad news for the world’s largest democracy. Thanks to the vitiated atmosphere induced by troll attacks on scribes on social media, among other things, the country's World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) ranking has fallen two places to 138th position.   Among 180 countries, India ranked 136th last year with a score of 42.94. However, in 2018 it attained 138th position with a score of 43.24 according to the...

-PTI The Reporters Without Borders cites the case of the killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, and warns that hatecrime is another issue plaguing India. London: India’s ranking in the Press Freedom Index has fallen two places to 138, a watchdog said on Wednesday in an annual report, blaming “physical violence” against journalists like Gauri Lankesh as the key reason behind the country’s low ranking. Norway topped the list of having the world’s...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: Narendra Modi's India has caught up with Donald Trump's United States at least on one count: both have fallen by two notches on the World Press Freedom Index. Worse for India, it has found mention in a general analysis by the Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) where a direct allegation is being levelled about "troll armies in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pay". India, the chapter on which...

-The Hindu Law Commission asked to make draft Moving a step ahead towards framing a distinct law for online “hate speech,” the Home Ministry has written to the Law Commission to prepare a draft law. The provisions will deal with offensive messages sent through social media and online messaging applications. The decision came after a committee headed by former Lok Sabha Secretary General T.K. Viswanathan submitted a report recommending stricter laws to curb...