For the first time in the 25-year history of the Press Freedom Index, more than half of the world’s countries are in the “difficult” or “very serious” categories when it comes to press freedom.
The average score for the 180 countries and territories included in the ranking has never been so low. Norway retains the top spot for the tenth consecutive year, and all Nordic countries are in the top 12.
Since 2001, increasingly comprehensive and restrictive legislation – particularly related to national security – has successively eroded the right to information, even in democratic countries. The index’s legal indicator has deteriorated the most over the past year, clearly showing that journalism is being increasingly criminalised worldwide.
In the United States, the situation has changed considerably: USA has fallen seven places, and several Latin American countries are sinking deeper into a spiral of violence and repression.
– Press freedom is at its lowest level in 25 years. The most worrying thing is that laws are now being used as weapons. Journalism is being criminalised to an ever-greater extent – not only in dictatorships, but also in democracies, says Erik Larsson, spokesperson for Reporters Without Borders Sweden.
Of the five indicators used to assess press freedom globally – economic, legal, security, political and social conditions for journalism – the legal indicator has deteriorated the most this year. The USA has fallen seven places, and other countries in the Americas, such as Ecuador and Venezuela, have plummeted in the rankings. Norway retains the top spot for the tenth consecutive year, while Eritrea is last for the third year in a row.
The lowest average score in 25 years
Since RSF began publishing its Press Freedom Index 25 years ago, press freedom has gradually deteriorated. This decline is clearly visible on the index’s map, which becomes redder every year.
More than half of the world’s countries are in the “difficult” or “very serious” categories when it comes to the state of press freedom. In 2002, 20% of the world’s population lived in a country where press freedom was classified as “good”. Twenty-five years later, less than 1% of the world’s population lives in a country that falls into this category.
– There are actually examples where things are moving forward, says Erik Larsson. One such country is Syria, which has climbed 36 places following a regime change in the country. The new government has opened up and made it possible for journalists to report from the country.
War and limited access to information
In some countries, such as Iraq, Sudan and Yemen, recurrent armed conflicts are the main reason for this deterioration of press freedom. Ongoing wars have had a particularly clear impact this year, not least in Palestine, where Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in Israel (which has fallen four places in this year’s index) continues to wage war.
Since October 2023, more than 220 journalists have been killed in Gaza by the Israeli army, including at least 70 who were killed while carrying out their work. The same applies in Sudan (-5) and South Sudan (-9).
Elsewhere, the situation for press freedom has barely changed, as dictatorial regimes keep the situation at a stalemate. This is the case, for example, in China, North Korea and Eritrea, where journalist Dawit Isaak has been held in prison without trial for 25 years. Eastern Europe and the Middle East remain the two most dangerous regions in the world for journalists, as they have been for 25 years.
US President Donald Trump has made repeated attacks on the press a systematic policy, which has led to the country falling to 64th place (-7).
– In general, the climate has become tougher for journalists; it is more common to smear individual journalists, to name them. When the US president, as the world’s most powerful man, does this, it leads to people following suit, says Larsson. We are being dragged into a larger trend of undermining the credibility of the established media. It’s the exact same narrative as the Russian state has. They try to fuel the conflicts by challenging the media as a problem because the media stands for credible information.
As an individual citizen, you can think about where you get your news from, says Erik Larsson.
– You have to be selective in your news consumption and scrutinise those who disseminate the news and what sources you use when you use information.