Robert Morgan, Minister with responsibility for Information
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Robert Morgan
By Kimone Witter/Racquel Porter
Jamaica has slipped further in the World Press Freedom Index.
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the country now ranks 32nd out of 180 countries, compared to 12th in 2022.
That's a fall of 20 places this year.
Jamaica was ranked at 7th in 2021.
The international media watchdog commented that in the last one to two decades, freedom of the press has continued to improve in Jamaica, and the right to information is widely respected.
The RSF said the country continues to rank among the safest in the world for journalists.
The group said physical attacks are rare, but they do happen, noting the attack on a Television Jamaica videographer and Jamaica Gleaner reporter while covering a teachers' protest in St. Catherine in November last year.
A man interrupted the interview and damaged the media workers' equipment.
Reporters Without Border said apart from this incident, no acts of violence against journalists had been recorded in the last ten years.
It said reporters must still measure the threat posed to them by the country's high crime rate when they are investigating a sensitive subject.
Today marks the 30th anniversary of the first World Press Freedom Day, which was created to remind governments of their duty to uphold freedom of expression.
Methodology changed
Despite Jamaica slipping on the World Press Freedom ranking, Robert Morgan, Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Information, has said he is grateful that the island remains among the top countries for press freedom.
Minister Morgan pointed out that the methodology used in the study has changed.
"[T]he current index is not the same as the previous index... and if you read the report, you will see that they have revealed that they have changed the methodology, and they have also said that you cannot use, or you must be careful in assessing this year's score and rank and comparing it to the previous rank."
Mr. Morgan admitted that there are "challenges globally as it relates to press freedom" but said the government continues to "support all journalists throughout the world who continue to fight to bring information to the public".
He cited Wednesday morning's post-Cabinet press briefing as an example of the commitment of successive governments in recognising the importance of a free and fair media to democracy.
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