"For the first time in the 25-year history of the World Press Freedom Index, more than half of the world's countries now fall into the 'difficult' or 'very serious' categories for press freedom. The share is 52.2 per cent, up from 13.7 per cent when Reporters Without Borders first published the index in 2002."
"The average score across all 180 countries and territories has never been lower. The report identifies authoritarian governments, emergency legislation repurposed to silence journalists, and physical violence as key factors in this decline."
"The technology industry appears in every category except the first. 'Authoritarian states, complicit or incompetent political powers, predatory economic actors and under-regulated online platforms' are collectively responsible for the decline."
"The proportion of the world's population living in a country where press freedom is rated 'good' has collapsed from 20 per cent to less than one per cent."
The 2026 RSF World Press Freedom Index reveals a significant decline in press freedom, marking the lowest level in 25 years. More than half of the countries are categorized as 'difficult' or 'very serious,' with only seven nations rated 'good.' The United States has fallen to its historic low at 64th place. Factors contributing to this decline include authoritarian governments, criminalization of journalism, and the role of technology platforms like Meta and Twitter in undermining press freedom.
Read at TNW | Insights
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]