Hard 'Press'-ed For Freedom

At all levels of society in a nation, be it national, regional or local, the press can be said to be the watchdog of the public at large – one cannot deny the role the press plays as an educator, entertainer and even a storyteller or chronicler, and thus, the press functions as an essential and crucial pillar of any democracy. Thus, our nation's gradual decline in its World Press Freedom Index, published by 'Reporters Without Borders' is quite alarming. From the rank of 138 out of 180 nations in 2018, India has seen a drop to the 142^nd position in 2021 to an almost dystopian 150^th in 2022. While these findings have been disputed by the Indian Parliament, they still constitute solid reason for the actual status of the freedom of press to be looked into.