China Maintains Title as World’s Foremost Jailer of Journalists: World Press Freedom Index 2024

As the world commemorated World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2024, the grim reality of press freedom in China remained stark. Under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the situation for both journalists and citizen journalists continues to deteriorate, as highlighted in the latest report from Reporters Without Borders (RSF), titled the 2024 World Press Freedom Index.

China’s placement in the index, near the bottom at 172nd among 180 countries and regions, reaffirmed its position as the world’s most prolific incarcerator of journalists, a title it has held onto from the previous year. RSF, headquartered in Paris and committed to defending freedom of information globally, emphasized in its report the dire state of press freedom in China. The report outlined how the CCP exercises strict control over information channels, employing censorship and surveillance tactics to regulate online content and stifle the dissemination of information deemed sensitive or divergent from the party line.

Highlighting the severity of the situation, RSF pointed out that China currently detains more than 100 journalists, further cementing its status as the largest jailer of journalists worldwide. Despite a slight improvement in ranking compared to the previous year, with China climbing from 179th to 172nd place, this upward movement was attributed not to any improvements within China but rather to deteriorating conditions in other countries such as Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Even in Hong Kong, where freedoms were once relatively robust, the situation has worsened. While the region’s ranking improved slightly to 135th place, up from 140th in 2023, its freedom score declined due to increased persecution of journalists under Beijing’s imposed national security law in 2020. RSF clarified that some apparent rises in the index are misleading, resulting from falls in countries previously ranked higher rather than genuine improvements.

Further underscoring the grim reality, the Freedom to Write Index 2023 released by New York-based PEN America on May 1, highlighted that China also leads globally in the imprisonment of writers and public intellectuals. The report revealed that in 2023 alone, China jailed over 100 writers, including six writers during the year, with nine of them being female. Among the imprisoned writers, 50 were online commentators targeted using vague charges such as “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.”

The pervasive control exerted by the CCP over information was vividly described by Sheng Xue, a journalist and writer based in Canada, who emphasized the difficulty in obtaining accurate statistics due to the regime’s tight grip on information. She highlighted that the CCP’s authoritarian grip extends throughout all levels of power, making it nearly impossible for the outside world to fully comprehend the extent of the repression faced by journalists and writers in China.

Echoing these sentiments, Lai Jianping, a Chinese human rights lawyer residing in the United States, emphasized that press freedom and freedom of speech in China, including in Hong Kong, are witnessing a continuous decline. Lai attributed this crackdown to the CCP’s efforts to maintain its grip on power amid mounting political, social, and economic challenges. He stressed that suppressing freedom of speech and press freedom remains a top priority for the CCP as it seeks to preserve its one-party dictatorship.

The plight of Chinese citizen journalists further illustrates the extent of the suppression and persecution endured under the CCP’s rule. Zhang Zhan, a citizen journalist who reported on the truth about the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan in 2020, was sentenced to four years in prison. Despite international calls for her release, she remains incarcerated, emblematic of the regime’s harsh treatment of those who dare to challenge its narrative.

Similarly, Wuhan citizen journalist Fang Bin, known for his video reports during the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, continues to face harassment even after being released from prison. His situation highlights the ongoing intimidation faced by citizen journalists, who are increasingly finding themselves with fewer avenues to report and intervene as the CCP tightens its grip on the flow of information.

In conclusion, the relentless crackdown on press freedom in China underscores the CCP’s determination to silence dissenting voices and maintain its authoritarian rule. As journalists and citizen journalists face mounting repression, the international community must remain vigilant and continue to advocate for their freedom, lest the CCP’s suffocating grip on information goes unchallenged.