Jamaica has moved up 8 places  on the World Press Freedom Index.

The press freedom rankings for 2024 place Jamaica at 24 out of 180 countries, up from 32 last year.

Rankings closer to 1 signify a free press, while rankings closer to 180 mean there are press restrictions.

The index was  released by Reporters Without Borders  RSF today and also shows Trinidad and Tobago at 25th.

RSF says in the past two decades, freedom of the press as a whole, has continued to improve in Jamaica. 

However, it says 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.

Norway, Denmark and Sweden hold the top three positions for press freedom.

Meanwhile, the government has welcomed Jamaica’s improved ranking.

Minister with Responsibility for Information, Robert Morgan attributed this success to what he said is the government’s proactive policies on information access.