Latest news with #WorldPressFreedomIndex2025
The Star
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Nga lauds nation's top spot in open data
On the ground: Nga with residents at the Sentuhan Kasih KPKT 3.0 programme in Kuantan. PETALING JAYA: Malaysia scored two major achievements on the global stage in the areas of open data and press freedom, says Nga Kor Ming. The Housing and Local Government Minister lauded the achievements, particularly in the Open Data Inventory (ODIN) 2024/25 ranking where the nation came up tops. 'Malaysia created history by securing the top position in the ODIN with an impressive overall score of 90. 'We outperformed 198 others, including developed nations such as Singapore, Finland, Denmark and Poland,' he told a press conference in conjunction with the Sentuhan Kasih KPKT 3.0 programme in Kuantan yesterday. Nga said the milestone reflects the commitment of the Madani government with regard to data transparency and public accessibility, particularly through the launch of the OpenDOSM portal in 2023. The platform modernised and centralised access to Malaysia's official data while reinforcing the country's digital governance framework. 'Open data is crucial because it supports evidence-based policy planning. 'When data is openly accessible, it enables more accurate, informed decision-making by policymakers. 'This also helps build public trust and strengthens governance,' he said. The achievement, Nga added, also highlights Malaysia's capability to compete globally with regard to its openness and coverage of official data. He said this further cemented Malaysia's status as a global leader on open government data. The minister also highlighted a significant improvement in Malaysia's ranking on the World Press Freedom Index 2025, published by Reporters Without Borders. 'Based on the latest evaluation, our ranking rose 19 spots from 107th in 2024 to 88th this year,' he said. This marked improvement is seen as a positive sign due to ongoing reforms and improvements of the media landscape, he added. Among Asean nations, Malaysia now holds the second-highest position on the index, behind Thailand, which is ranked 85th globally.
Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Top 10 best and worst countries for press freedom in 2025: India's rank revealed
World Press Freedom Index: In 2025, global press freedom is being threatened by growing economic pressures on journalists and newsrooms, adding to the already precarious nature of the profession subjected to socio-political and legal challenges. Witnessing a troubling downward trend, its global landscape is being described as a 'difficult situation' for the first time in history, according to new findings of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index 2025. 'Today's news media are caught between preserving their editorial independence and ensuring their economic survival,' RSF highlights. (Source: World Press Freedom Index 2025, RSF) RSF World Press Freedom Index 2025: What are the key challenges to press freedom globally? Out of 180 countries assessed, 160 face significant challenges regarding the financial stability of media outlets, notably affected in the United States (ranked 57th, a decline of 2 places from the previous year), Tunisia (129th, down 11 places), and Argentina (87th, down 21 places). Political instability further exacerbates the media economy, with particular difficulties in Palestine (163rd) and a notable decline in Israel (112th, down 11 places). The concentration of media ownership also threatens media diversity and encourages self-censorship, affecting 46 countries, including well-placed nations like Australia (29th), Canada (21st), the Czechia (10th), and France (25th, down 4 places). In some instances, such control is entirely state-owned, as seen in Russia (171st, down 9 places). Laws restricting 'foreign influence' also stifle independent journalism, particularly in Georgia (114th, down 11 places). Repressive legislation against the press poses additional challenges, notably in Central Asia and the Middle East, such as in Jordan (147th, which fell 15 places). Editorial interference is a widespread issue, reported in over half of the countries evaluated (92 out of 180). In 21 countries—including Rwanda (146th), the United Arab Emirates (164th), and Vietnam (173rd) —media owners routinely interfere with editorial decisions, according to RSF. Where does India rank? India ranked 151st with a total score of 32.96 in the World Press Freedom Index in 2025, moving up 8 places from 159th last year. World Press Freedom Index 2025: A comparative analysis on India's rank and score – 2025 vs. 2024. Norway led the list in 2025, as it did last year, followed by Scandinavian and European countries that have consistently ranked high on press freedom surveys, supported by strong legal protections and a diverse media economy. Eritrea is at the bottom-most this year, followed by countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia, which experience a worrying deterioration of 80% of the economic score alongside persistent polarisation and repression. Top 10 Countries with the Best Press Freedom in 2025 Rank Country Global Score Political Economic Legislative Social Security 1 Norway 92.31 96.22 87.32 91.96 90.03 96.03 2 Estonia 89.46 90.87 79.4 90 91.61 95.41 3 Netherlands 88.64 89.95 83.85 89.69 88.05 91.64 4 Sweden 88.13 90.07 82.71 90.02 84.99 92.86 5 Finland 87.18 89.93 80.54 87.93 83.87 93.65 6 Denmark 86.93 91.13 78.46 86.78 83.85 94.43 7 Ireland 86.92 91.3 78.77 81.49 87.25 95.8 8 Portugal 84.26 88.77 65.83 86.16 86.74 93.81 9 Switzerland 83.98 85.7 73.21 83.73 83.4 93.86 10 Czechia 83.96 84.64 65.41 88.22 87.66 93.87 Bottom 10 Countries with the Worst Press Freedom in 2025 Rank Country Global Score Political Economic Legislative Social Security 180 Eritrea 11.32 10.81 15.46 8.35 11.69 10.29 179 North Korea 12.64 12.18 11.05 16.67 9.46 13.86 178 China 14.8 9.78 20.53 11.23 15.73 16.74 177 Syria 15.82 14 14.39 16.01 19.64 15.08 176 Iran 16.22 12.86 19.26 16.78 14.55 17.66 175 Afghanistan 17.88 17.78 25.1 11.43 18.92 16.16 174 Turkmenistan 19.14 7.63 15.9 31.94 13 27.24 173 Vietnam 19.74 13.81 19.15 19.16 20.97 25.62 172 Nicaragua 22.83 14.76 24.84 19.88 30.08 24.6 171 Russia 24.57 12.05 32.96 23.41 30.83 23.57
The Star
05-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
WFH and PdPR during Asean Summit not finalised yet
On the ground: Fahmi (in printed shirt) mingling with members of the public who are undergoing free health screenings at IWK Ecopark Pantai Dalam, Kuala Lumpur. — Bernama KUALA LUMPUR: The government has yet to finalise a proposal for civil servants to work from home (WFH) and for students to undergo home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) during the Asean Summit scheduled for the end of this month, says Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. The Communications Minister and Madani government spokesman said the matter was discussed two weeks ago and is currently being reviewed in detail by the Asean Secretariat at Wisma Putra. 'The focus is on those working in or around the Asean Summit venue and areas where several major meetings will be held. 'I believe we will have more information after the upcoming Cabinet meeting, either this week or next,' he told reporters after attending the Universiti Malaya Public Health Campaign: Diabetes is not a barrier here yesterday, Bernama reported. Previously, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the WFH and PdPR proposals for the Asean Summits in May and October would be brought to the Cabinet, following concerns over disruptions caused by road closures during Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent state visit. Separately, Fahmi said the government's goal is not merely to see Malaysia's position improve in the Press Freedom Index, but more importantly, to support media practitioners who are now facing the evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI). He said currently, media practitioners are dealing with various urgent challenges, including employment issues, welfare concerns and the rise of AI, which raises fears over whether it could replace the role of journalists. 'In this regard, the World Press Freedom Index 2025 report released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) presents an opportunity for the government to enhance efforts to defend the interests of media practitioners,' he said. Malaysia improved its standing in the World Press Freedom Index 2025, climbing 19 spots to 88th place, the second highest in Asean behind Thailand, which ranks 85th. Fahmi, who is also Lembah Pantai MP, said several government efforts, including the drafting of legislation for the Malaysian Media Council, have contributed to the positive outcome in the country's ranking. 'We hope that by National Journalists Day, the council or its founding board can be formed. This would be a positive and significant step forward,' he added. Fahmi also expressed his readiness to meet with representatives from media groups such as journalist clubs, the National Union of Journalists Malaysia and Malaysian Press Institute to discuss guidelines on AI use in journalism. Commenting on the 3R (race, religion, royalty) issue raised by RSF in the report, Fahmi stressed the importance of balancing freedom of expression with adherence to existing laws. 'We cannot allow misinformation, including content that touches on 3R issues and disrupts public order, to spread unchecked.'
The Sun
04-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Press Freedom Index: Gov't safeguards media interests in AI era
KUALA LUMPUR: The government's goal is not merely to see Malaysia's position improve in the Press Freedom Index, but more importantly, to support media practitioners who are now facing the evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI), said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. He said that currently, media practitioners are dealing with various urgent challenges, including employment issues, welfare concerns and the rise of AI, which raises fears over whether it could replace the role of journalists. 'In this regard, the World Press Freedom Index 2025 report released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) presents an opportunity for the government to enhance efforts to defend the interests of media practitioners,' he told reporters after attending the Universiti Malaya Public Health Campaign: Diabetes Is Not a Barrier here today. Malaysia improved its standing in the World Press Freedom Index 2025 by climbing 19 spots to 88th place, the second highest in ASEAN behind Thailand, which ranks 85th. Fahmi, who is also the Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai, said several government efforts, including the drafting of legislation for the Malaysian Media Council, have contributed to the positive outcome in the country's ranking. 'We hope that by National Journalists Day, the council or its founding board can be formed. This would be a positive and significant step forward,' he said. Fahmi also expressed his readiness to meet with representatives from media groups such as journalist clubs, the National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJ) and the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) to discuss guidelines on AI use in journalism. 'We certainly need guidelines. We need understanding so we can harness AI's potential and not fall victim to false news, inaccurate information, or the misuse of AI, especially in the media industry. 'I am ready to meet and will try to make time this week to at least gather initial input from NUJ,' he said. Commenting on the 3R (race, religion, royalty) issue raised by RSF in the report, Fahmi stressed the importance of balancing freedom of expression with adherence to existing laws. 'We cannot allow misinformation, including content that touches on 3R issues and disrupts public order, to spread unchecked. Malaysians, including media colleagues, have the right to speak and report, but existing laws still apply,' he said.
Barnama
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Barnama
Press Freedom Index: Gov't Safeguards Media Interests In AI Era
KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 (Bernama) -- The government's goal is not merely to see Malaysia's position improve in the Press Freedom Index, but more importantly, to support media practitioners who are now facing the evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI), said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. He said that currently, media practitioners are dealing with various urgent challenges, including employment issues, welfare concerns and the rise of AI, which raises fears over whether it could replace the role of journalists. 'In this regard, the World Press Freedom Index 2025 report released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) presents an opportunity for the government to enhance efforts to defend the interests of media practitioners,' he told reporters after attending the Universiti Malaya Public Health Campaign: Diabetes Is Not a Barrier here today. Malaysia improved its standing in the World Press Freedom Index 2025 by climbing 19 spots to 88th place, the second highest in ASEAN behind Thailand, which ranks 85th. Fahmi, who is also the Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai, said several government efforts, including the drafting of legislation for the Malaysian Media Council, have contributed to the positive outcome in the country's ranking. 'We hope that by National Journalists Day, the council or its founding board can be formed. This would be a positive and significant step forward,' he said. Fahmi also expressed his readiness to meet with representatives from media groups such as journalist clubs, the National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJ) and the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) to discuss guidelines on AI use in journalism. 'We certainly need guidelines. We need understanding so we can harness AI's potential and not fall victim to false news, inaccurate information, or the misuse of AI, especially in the media industry. 'I am ready to meet and will try to make time this week to at least gather initial input from NUJ,' he said.
