Editorial | Securing press freedom

In his first interaction with journalists in Rome on Monday, Pope Leo XIV spoke of “the precious gift of free speech and of the press”, and of the role of the media in helping societies to make informed decisions.

It is not an obligation this newspaper takes lightly, which is why we cherish that Jamaica primarily remains a free and open society, but are concerned about the island’s continued slippage in rankings on the Reporters Without Borders’ (identified by its French acronym RSF) Press Freedom Index.

In 2020, Jamaica was sixth among 180 countries ranked by RSF. In the index released earlier this month, Jamaica was 26th, two places down on last year, and a drop of 20 places in five years.

Jamaica’s fall in the rankings is of itself significant. But of even greater concern to The Gleaner, as our columnist Peter Espeut highlighted on Friday, was the decline in the island’s absolute score.

RSF’s index is on the basis of composite scores, ranging from zero to 100, where zero is the lowest.

Countries with scores of between 85 and 100 are considered to have ‘good’ press freedom. Those between 75 and 85 are satisfactory. Seventy-five down to 55 is the beginning of problem territory, where countries are tagged as light orange. Between 40 and 55, countries are deemed to be in difficulty with respect to press freedom. A score of 40 and below, the dark red zone, indicates serious problems.

These composite scores are computed from a range of scores from quantitative and qualitative analyses of a country’s environment for press freedom, ranging from the freedom of journalists to do their work, the legal framework within which they operate, cultural and social constraints, and the economic context within which the press operates.

On the current index, Jamaica’s score is 75.83, down 1.47 from 77.3 in 2024. Year-on-year, its scores declined on all the sub-indicators.

As Peter Espeut noted, Jamaica received its best overall score of 90.04 in 2021, which was 0.55 of a point better than the previous. But that year it slipped one place on the index, to seventh, because Costa Rica did better. Our lowest rank in recent years was 32nd in 2023.

In its analysis of the Jamaican media environment, RSF concluded that freedom of the press has, on the whole, improved in Jamaica over the past two decades. There is content independence.

“However, there is a growing gulf of distrust between government officials and the media that has contributed to a decline in institutional respect for press freedom,” the body said.

It would be difficult to dispute that assessment, which RSF underpinned with a rehash of Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ much-criticised 2019 suggestion that journalists could “take whatever stance they want to take because it’s free media; it doesn’t have to be the truth”.

Happily, despite a few incidents of violence against reporters, no reporter has been killed or seriously injured while doing his or her job, although RSF cautioned that “reporters must continue to measure the threat posed to them by the country’s high crime rate when they are investigating a sensitive subject”.

MEANINGFUL INTERVENTIONS

In this context, we are reminded of the bullseyes that were placed on the backs of six of this newspaper’s journalists on social media, by person(s) unknown, accusing them of attempting to undermine, and bring down, the current administration. Their sin, of course, was professional reporting.

Fortuitously, that campaign receded.

However, with an election campaign heating up, it could well arise again against The Gleaner’s reporters, as well as journalists from other media.

Which makes Pope Leo’s exhortation to reporters relevant – not only to members of that profession, but also to the fold with whom they have to engage in doing their jobs.

As well as to those who have a responsibility to safeguard a free press, and the security of reporters.

He said: “Let us disarm communication of all prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and even hatred; let us free it from aggression. We do not need loud, forceful communication but rather, communication that is capable of listening.”

That does not mean that the press must not speak truthfully, frankly and clearly, or that those upon whom they report must forfeit their right to disagree. It does, however, mean eschewing bullseye on people’s backs.

As it stands, Jamaica’s position as a country that enjoys a free press, as measured by the RSF index, as a broader freedom of expression, as analysed by the monitoring group, Article 19, remains good. But nothing, which the RSF report made clear, can be taken for granted.

The Gleaner therefore agrees with the Press Association of Jamaica on the “urgent need for meaningful interventions to preserve the gains made and strengthen our commitment to press freedom”. All parties must be ready for, and open to, frank dialogue.