Press freedom worldwide has declined to its lowest point in 25 years, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Paris-based media freedom watchdog. The organization issued the warning Thursday alongside the release of its annual global press freedom index.
RSF documented a broad deterioration in conditions for journalists across multiple regions, attributing the slide to a range of political and governmental actions targeting independent media.
US and Saudi Arabia highlighted
Among the factors cited, RSF pointed to what it described as US President Donald Trump's "systematic" attacks on the press. The organization has previously criticized the Trump administration's rhetoric toward journalists and news organizations, which RSF argues contributes to a broader erosion of press norms globally.
In Saudi Arabia, RSF noted that a journalist was executed in 2025, marking one of the starkest examples in this year's report of state-sanctioned violence against members of the press.
A quarter-century low
The characterization of current press freedom conditions as the worst in 25 years places the present moment alongside some of the most restrictive periods for journalists in the modern era. RSF compiles its annual index by assessing political, legal, economic, and security environments for journalists in countries around the world.
The organization has tracked press freedom conditions since the early 2000s, and its index is widely cited by governments, international institutions, and human rights groups as a benchmark for media conditions globally.
RSF did not limit its findings to any single region, describing the decline as worldwide in scope. The group indicated that factors contributing to the drop include not only outright repression but also economic pressures on independent media and the spread of disinformation environments that undermine journalistic credibility.
Broader implications
Media freedom advocates have long argued that restrictions on the press tend to precede or accompany broader democratic backsliding, making the RSF index a closely watched indicator beyond journalism circles.
The report arrives at a moment when a number of governments are facing scrutiny over their treatment of journalists, from direct censorship and imprisonment to more indirect measures such as advertising restrictions and legal harassment.
RSF's annual ranking covers close to 180 countries and territories, making it one of the most comprehensive assessments of press conditions published each year. The full findings and country-by-country rankings were released Thursday, according to France24, which first reported on the index's conclusions.
