Press freedom around the globe has fallen to its lowest level in 25 years, according to the annual World Press Freedom Index released at the end of April by Reporters Sans Frontieres or Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Of the 180 countries and territories analyzed, more than half were placed in the “difficult” or “very serious” categories for press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Index “compares the level of freedom enjoyed by journalists and media” worldwide. Each country or territory receives a score ranging from 0 to 100 using quantitative and qualitative data collected by RSF. Countries are then placed into five categories, ranging from “very serious” (0 to 40 points) to “good” (85 to 100 points).
In the first World Press Freedom Index, published in 2002, one-fifth of the world’s population lived in countries where press freedom was characterized as “good.” The most recent report placed only seven countries in that category, representing less than one percent of the global population.
The organization cited the “expansion of increasingly restrictive legal arsenals — particularly those linked to national security policies” as well as increasing efforts to criminalize journalism as indicated by declines in the legal indicator, which measures the legal framework affecting press freedom.
It identified attempts to circumvent free press protections and use emergency legislation against journalists as part of a broader global pattern, noting that these measures have contributed to declining press freedom in 110 of 180 countries (61 percent).
Armed conflicts and ongoing wars have also played a major role. The report highlighted Palestine, which ranked 156th overall, and stated that “since October 2023, more than 220 journalists in Gaza have been killed by the Israeli army, including at least 70 who were slain while carrying out their work.”
Similar conditions affecting journalists were identified in Sudan and South Sudan, which ranked 161st and 118th respectively. RSF also identified Eastern Europe and the Middle East as “the two most dangerous regions for journalists in the world,” pointing to continued threats posed by ongoing conflicts, including the war in Ukraine.
The index described “hostile political discourse towards reporters” and “a faltering media economy” as broader factors contributing to worsening conditions for press freedom worldwide.
The United States ranked 64th overall, dropping seven places since the inauguration of President Donald Trump and remaining in RSF’s “problematic” category for press freedom. The report stated that President Trump “has turned his repeated attacks on the press and journalists into a systematic policy,” emphasizing the detention and deportation of Salvadoran journalist Mario Guevara while he was documenting protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last year.
Across North and South America, organized crime and political actors were identified as major drivers of declining press freedom. The organization notably cited Mexico as the most dangerous country in the world for journalists outside of active war zones last year. Since 2000, over 150 journalists have been murdered in the country and 28 have gone missing.
At the opposite end of the rankings, Norway retained the top position for the tenth consecutive year, while Eritrea ranked last for the third year in a row. The report also identified post-Assad Syria as the most improved country, climbing 36 places.
The full index, along with country-by-country scores, analysis and methodology, is available on RSF’s website, rsf.org.
