These words that Benjamin Franklin wrote more than three centuries ago about press freedom still resonate across the confines that keep journalists in jail for doing their jobs. According to the most recent reports from Reporters Without Borders (RSF), 533 journalists worldwide are imprisoned today, which is the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day.

History with Press Foundation Day

In comparison to the previous year, the number of detentions increased by 13.4% in 2022, according to its reports. The number of female detunes has never been higher for the media watchdog. Right now, 78 among 533 are ladies – a lofty 30 percent ascend from 2021. The Islamic Republic of Iran, which has been using armed forces against the journalists since the eruption of massive protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, is the third country on the list. China, which has a history of attacks on the press, is leading the list with 110 journalists in jail.

57 journalists were killed while working on the ground in 2022, an 18.8% increase from 2021. The significant justification for such an ascent, in any case, the report credits is the continuous Russian attack of Ukraine. In the initial a half year of the conflict, eight columnists had been killed – one of them being Ukrainian photojournalist Maks Levin, who was supposedly killed by Russian troopers on Walk 13, 2022.

Although the Indian constitution does not explicitly recognize freedom of the press as a fundamental right, it does include it in the definition of freedom of speech and expression in Article 19(1). The Supreme Court ruled in the landmark Romesh Thapad v. State of Madras case in 1950 that freedom of the press is a part of freedom of speech and expression.