As Jamaica joins the world in observing Press Freedom Day today, the opposition People’s National Party, PNP is calling for stronger protection for journalists, transparency in public communication spending, and a national recommitment to press freedom.

The call also comes after Jamaica fell 2 places on the 2025 World Press Freedom Index.

In the index published yesterday, Reporters Without Borders, RSF, said Jamaica is now ranked 26th, from 24th last year.

180 countries are ranked, with Norway having the highest level of press freedom at number 1 and Eritrea, the lowest at 180.

In the Caribbean, the highest ranked country is Trinidad and Tobago, at 19, which climbed 6 levels.

Regionally, Jamaica stands at second place.

In a statement, the PNP expressed concern about the decline.

The opposition also highlighted that Jamaica fell 16 places since 2020.

The PNP said this reflects the growing gulf of mistrust between government officials and the press, and an increasingly autocratic posture by the holiness administration.

Opposition Spokesperson on Information and Public Communication, Nekeisha Burchell, said this is no coincidence, but the result of deliberate attempts to undermine press freedom and control the national narrative.

She cited instances where journalists and media houses were openly attacked or dismissed for asking tough questions, and where government parliamentarians have displayed visible hostility to the press.

The PNP also highlighted concerns over the use of public funds to finance politically charged advertising, disguised as government information.

Ms. Burchell said entities like JIS and PBCJ are mandated to inform the public, not serve as party megaphones.

The Spokesperson on Information said a free press is not a threat to government; it is the foundation of good governance. 

She said when leaders fear questions and shut out the media, they aren’t strengthening the country – they are weakening it.

Ms. Burchell acknowledged the real pressures faced by traditional media due to digital disruption and economic shifts, but urged that integrity must not be sacrificed in the fight for survival.

She has commended those in the media who have remained steadfast.

Yesterday, following the publication of the index, the government reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding freedom of the press, ensuring open access to information, and fostering a media landscape where journalism can thrive in the digital age.