Where Data Tells the Story
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PM Modi has not held a press conference in 12 years. A Norwegian journalist recently discovered the reason.
Last week in Oslo, journalist Helle Lyng called out, "Why don't you take some questions from the freest press in the world?" That moment shaped what happened next.
Modi responded by walking away, which proved Lyng's point.
These moments happened against a bigger backdrop. Norway ranks first on the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, while India is 157th. Coincidentally, both countries had just signed LNG and green energy deals together.
When I made this chart, I kept the 156-place gap in mind. Green marks scores above the global average of 54.3, and red marks those below it.
The difference is clear, with little room for confusion.
For example, Germany leads with a score of 82, and South Korea moved up 14 places this year. As expected, the top half of the chart includes familiar countries.
On the other end, the situation looks very different.
India scores 32. Türkiye has 28. Russia is at 23. Saudi Arabia gets 19. China has 14.
Looking at these rankings, a clear regional trend stands out. Every G20 country with a press freedom score below the world average is in Asia or the Middle East. No countries from other regions fall below the average.
On the same day, PM Modi answered Helle Lyng; he called India 'the world's largest democracy' during his speech in Oslo. Since last year, India has dropped six places and now ranks 157th out of 180 countries, below Indonesia and Argentina, and close to countries with limited press freedom.
You can read the full analysis at: vizmaya.fyi/story/press-freedom-2026