2026 RSF Index: press freedom at a 25-year low

Key Points:

• The World Press Freedom Index reveals a 25-year low in global press freedom, with over half of countries classified as having "difficult" or "very serious" press freedom conditions, a sharp rise from 13.7% in 2002.
• Armed conflicts in countries like Iraq, Sudan, Yemen, and Palestine have severely impacted press freedom, with over 220 journalists killed in Gaza since October 2023, while authoritarian regimes in China, North Korea, and Russia continue to suppress independent journalism.
• The criminalisation of journalism has intensified, with over 60% of countries experiencing declines in legal protections for the press, often through misuse of national security laws and anti-terrorism legislation, affecting countries such as Russia, India, Egypt, and Turkey.
• Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) and political pressures undermine media independence worldwide, including in democracies like France and countries within the European Union, despite protections like the European Media Freedom Act.
• In the Americas, press freedom has deteriorated due to political violence and hostility from leaders like Donald Trump, with Latin American countries such as Argentina, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Peru experiencing significant declines amid threats from organized crime and government repression.