Press Freedom Plummets to 25-Year Low Globally

Global Press Freedom Reaches 25-Year Low The World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), reported this month that global press freedom has declined to its lowest level in 25 years. The average score across 180 assessed countries marked the lowest point in the index's history, indicating a significant deterioration in media environments worldwide.

This decline is primarily driven by an expansion of restrictive legal frameworks, particularly national security laws, which governments globally are increasingly using to impede journalistic activities. For the first time, over half of all countries now fall into the “difficult” or “very serious” categories for press freedom. The proportion of the global population living in countries with “good” press freedom has fallen from 20% in 2002 to less than 1% currently.

The report highlights that political hostility towards the press, combined with challenging business models for media outlets, is contributing to the “asphyxiation” of established journalism. Specific examples include Russia, which holds 48 journalists in detention, and the impact of conflicts such as the war in Gaza, where over 220 journalists have been killed since October 2023, with at least 70 killed while performing their duties.

The United States ranked 64th, reflecting concerns over systematic policies impacting press freedom.