Iraq falls dramatically in press freedom index

Iraq’s press freedom ranking fell dramatically to 172 out of 180 countries this year, according to the 2022 World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) published by global media watchdog Reporters without Borders (RFS), in a steady decrease since 2019. Journalism in the country has been facing great hardships for years as security and political situation hampers the ability of journalists to do their work, tries to silence them, and threatens their lives. Some Iraqi laws also do not provide protection to journalists and reporters, which exacerbates their suffering.