The World Press Freedom Index 2024 report published by Reporters Without Borders on Saturday did not paint a rosy picture when it comes to allowing journalists to work with freedom, especially in troubled zones.
The report, however, had something for the Sultanate of Oman to cheer about as it advanced 18 places to rank 137th in the report.
Oman secured 42.52 points compared to 37.87 points last year when it ranked 155th globally on the index, which measures the state of press freedom in 180 countries and regions annually using five metrics to assess press freedom including the political context, legal framework, economic context, social and cultural context, and safety.
Recently, in his statement to the Majlis Ash’shura, Dr Abdullah bin Nasser al Harrasi, Minister of Information, said that the Omani media receives the support of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik who expressed his conviction in the significant role of the media in the next stage of development.
He said the Omani media is undertaking an enlightenment role, disseminating knowledge and achieving cultural openness with others.
The evolution of Omani media has been evident in the last 15 years with social media, especially the X (formerly Twitter), which emerged as the common platform for the average people to raise their concerns and issues with the authorities concerned at the highest level.
Today we see the government, including ministers and senior officials, responding to the concerns of the people and taking long-term and short-term corrective measures.
A decade ago, the media reporting of incidents and accidents in the country was delayed. Today, the media reports events such as floods and rains and press meets live, letting every person in the country take note of the actual situation on the ground.
We do have a fear of the unverified and fake news spreading by the section of the social media or so-called citizen journalism, but in general the official and licensed media in the country has been proactive and responsible in providing accurate news.
This year’s report indicated lack of political will on the part of the international community to protect journalists, especially in the war in Gaza, which saw a record number of violations against journalists and the press since October 2023 with more than 100 Palestinian journalists killed by the Israeli army.
The World Press Freedom Index 2024 showed a decline in the ranking of the United States, while the Middle East and North African countries suffered because of the conflicts.
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