BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – The international non-profit organization, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has given Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries mixed grades in its 21st edition of the World Press Freedom Index.
The index, compiled annually by RSF, sheds light on significant and often radical changes linked to political, social, and technological upheavals.
Regarding the Americas, it said political transitions have mainly benefitted journalists from two countries in the Americas, with Brazil and the United States showing a much better disposition towards the media.
In Haiti, which dropped by 29 to the 99th position, RSF said that the growing political instability since President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination in 2021 “has created an acute security crisis that has turned Haiti into one of the region’s most dangerous countries for journalists.”
“Trinidad and Tobago (25th) progressed significantly in the Caribbean region. This is mainly attributed to a Supreme Court ruling favoring protecting journalists’ sources, which could hold far-reaching implications for media across the region,” RSF said.
RSF, Trinidad, and Tobago topped the CARICOM countries, placing 25th, five places down from the 2022 position with a score of 76.54, followed by Jamaica at 32nd with a score of 75.8, down 20 places from the previous year. The RSF looked at 28 countries in the Americas.
Suriname has been pegged at 48th with a score of 70.62, down four places, while Belize is at 51st with a score of 70.49, down four from last year’s position.
Guyana has been placed at 60th with a score of 67.5 and moving 26 places up, while the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is at 93rd with a score of 58.36 and improving by 38 homes over the 2022 position.
Haiti is at number 99th with a score of 57.38, improving by 29 places in the 2022 position.
Regarding disinformation and online violence, the RWB said the situation has deteriorated in countries with less unstable political landscapes.
It said disinformation and propaganda, often associated with online verbal violence against journalists and the media, are being normalized and becoming an integral part of political leaders’ strategy in seeking greater control over the public narrative.
“Although historically well placed in the World Press Freedom Index, Costa Rica (down 15 at 23rd), Uruguay (down eight at 52nd), and Argentina (down 11 at 40th) all reflect this trend’s impact on journalism. Canada (up four at 15th) and Guyana (down 26 at 60th) have also seen an increase in online harassment, particularly of women journalists,” the RWB added.
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