New Delhi. The Indian Women’s Press Corps marked World Press Freedom Day by holding a Panel Discussion “Safeguarding Press Freedom Amidst Global Upheaval,” bringing together media institution to address the pressures facing journalists today.
The event comes in the backdrop of the recent report that India has slipped to 157th place out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders. This is a six-place drop from the previous year.
Speakers at the discussion included C.K. Naik, President Press Association; Raghavan Srinivasan, General Secretary Editors Guild of India; and Dr. Waiel Awwad, President Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia. There were with several journalist in attendance.
Dr. Awwad, who is also the President of the International Association of Press Clubs (IAPCs) warned that attacks on journalists have moved from incidental to deliberate. “This is part of a systematic attempt to stop the truth from being told,” he said, stressing the urgent need for stronger international mechanisms to protect reporters on the ground. He highlighted the recent “targeted” killing of journalists in Gaza.
Raghavan Srinivasan Editors Guild pointed to a deep structural failures within the industry said: “Many troubling trends in the media have become normalised, from ownership-driven bias to editorial pressure. Expressing concern that a new generation may not fully grasp the profession’s core values, he highlighted the economic crisis facing traditional media, noting that declining audiences/leadership directly impact financial viability and editorial independence.
C.K. Naik of the Press Association turned the spotlight inward on a fractured profession. “We have become our own enemy,” he said, citing the absence of coordinated resistance and the weakness of press bodies as critical vulnerabilities at a time when journalists need solidarity the most.
In conclusion said Sujata Raghavan, President, IWPC “We are here to collectively reflect, speak up, and build a more robust environment for journalism, which remains central to the democratic ethos,” – by Saroj Dhuliya
