IWPC Panel Mark Press Freedom Day Amid India’s Global Slide
Women Journalists raises alarm over journalist safety, media independence and democratic pressures
- Indian Women’s Press Corps hosts World Press Freedom Day panel
- India falls to 157th in 2026 global press freedom rankings
- Media leaders warn of rising threats to journalists
- Calls grow for stronger institutional and global protections
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 3rd May: The Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC) marked World Press Freedom Day by convening a major panel discussion focused on safeguarding journalism amid rising global instability, increasing attacks on media freedom and growing institutional pressures on reporters.
The event comes as India slipped to 157th position out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders, reflecting mounting concerns over media independence.
Senior media leaders, including representatives from the Press Association, Editors Guild of India and Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia, highlighted deepening structural and political challenges confronting journalists.
Speakers warned that attacks on journalists are increasingly becoming systematic, with truth-telling itself often targeted.
Industry leaders also pointed to ownership concentration, editorial pressure, economic fragility of traditional media and weakening institutional solidarity as major threats to independent journalism.
The discussions emphasized that the erosion of press freedom directly impacts democratic accountability and public trust.
IWPC leadership stressed the urgent need for stronger domestic and international safeguards to protect journalists and preserve media autonomy.
The panel underscored journalism’s central role in sustaining democratic values during times of political and geopolitical upheaval.
The event served as both a reflection on current challenges and a call to strengthen professional unity in defense of press freedom.
