Freedom of the press has dropped to its lowest point in 25 years, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warns in its annual World Press Freedom Index. The Paris-based NGO’s ranking, covering 180 countries, measures press freedom on a five-point scale from “very serious” to “good.”
For the first time since the index began in 2002, more than half of countries fall into the “difficult” or “very serious” categories, a trend RSF says shows “journalism is increasingly criminalised worldwide.” Only seven mostly Nordic countries score “good,” with Norway, the Netherlands and Estonia occupying the top three spots. France is 25th with a “satisfactory” rating; the United States is 64th, rated “problematic” and down seven places since President Donald Trump took office. RSF says Trump “has turned his repeated attacks on the press and journalists into a systematic policy,” citing the detention and deportation of Salvadoran journalist Mario Guevara while documenting a protest and the suspension of several public media institutions.
In Latin America, RSF highlights steep declines such as Argentina under Javier Milei (98th, down 11) and El Salvador (143rd), which has fallen 105 places since 2014 amid its campaign against criminal gangs. RSF identifies Eastern Europe and the Middle East as the most dangerous regions for journalists, with Russia (172nd) and Iran (177th) among the bottom 10.
Armed conflict and restricted access to information are major drivers of the decline. RSF points to attacks on journalists by Israeli forces in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Lebanon, ranking Israel 116th. “Since October 2023, more than 220 journalists have been killed in Gaza by the Israeli army, including at least 70 who were slain while carrying out their work,” the report says.
Overall, RSF reports that more than 60 percent of countries — 110 out of 180 — have criminalised media workers in various ways. Examples of states imposing crackdowns include India (157th), Egypt (169th), Georgia (135th), Türkiye (163rd) and Hong Kong (140th).
Anne Bocandé, RSF’s editorial director, says the criminalisation of journalism is driven by “authoritarian states, complicit or incompetent political powers, predatory economic actors and under-regulated online platforms.” She calls on democratic governments and citizens to act, urging “firm guarantees and meaningful sanctions.” “Current protection mechanisms are not strong enough; international law is being undermined and impunity is rife,” Bocandé said. “Inaction is a form of endorsement,” she added, warning that the spread of authoritarianism “isn’t inevitable.”