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5d ago

Global Press Freedom Hits Record Low, U.S. Drops to 57th in RSF Index

The 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index marks the first-ever 'difficult' classification, with economic pressures and U.S. policy under Trump cited as key drivers of decline.

The Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index map for 2025. It's a lot of red and orange, with a smattering of green in northern Europe. Picture: RSF
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RSF said Trump has 'weaponised institutions, cut support for independent media, and sidelined reporters'

Overview

  • Reporters Without Borders (RSF) downgraded global press freedom to 'difficult' for the first time, reflecting an all-time low in its annual index.
  • The United States fell two places to 57th in the 2025 RSF rankings, attributed to President Trump's second term policies that cut funding for public broadcasters and restricted journalistic access.
  • Economic pressures, such as ownership concentration and declining public aid, have severely impacted the financial viability of independent media worldwide.
  • For the first time, journalistic conditions are rated as 'poor' in half of the countries assessed, with fewer than one in four achieving a 'satisfactory' rating.
  • Norway retained the top spot for press freedom, while regions like the Middle East and Asia-Pacific saw some of the steepest declines, with multiple countries classified as 'very serious' environments for journalists.