Jamaica has suffered an awesome decline within the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, launched on Wednesday by Reporters With out Borders (RSF).
Jamaica is listed as 32 out of 180 international locations, whereas the nation was ranked in twelfth place in 2022.
As Might 3 is widely known as World Press Freedom Day, RSF nonetheless recommended the nation for its degree of press freedom regardless of the decline.
RSF famous that previously one to 20 years, freedom of the press has continued to enhance in Jamaica, and the fitting to info is broadly revered.
“The nation thus continues to rank among the many most secure on the earth for journalists,” RSF stated.
It added that the Jamaican free press usually brazenly criticizes officers, and journalists have sometimes reported intimidation whereas doing their work, significantly forward of an election.
Nonetheless, RSF stated, “Bodily assaults are uncommon, however they do occur,” noting {that a} videographer for Tv Jamaica and a reporter for the Jamaica Gleaner have been attacked in November 2022 whereas masking a academics’ protest in St Catherine.
Reviews are {that a} man punched a cameraman, pulled the microphone cable, and tried to destroy the digital camera.
He additionally allegedly tried to grab the Gleaner reporter’s cell phone and issued demise threats to each journalists earlier than he was ushered away by individuals who intervened.
The Press Affiliation of Jamaica and the Media Affiliation of Jamaica condemned the assault.
RSF indicated that the incident would have contributed to the island’s drastic decline.
It additional stated that other than this incident, no acts of violence towards journalists had been recorded up to now 10 years.
It additionally urged reporters to “measure the menace posed to them by the nation’s excessive crime fee when they’re investigating a delicate topic.”