Press freedom at lowest level in 25 years: Report
Press freedom has reached its lowest level in 25 years, according to Reporters Without Borders, with less than 1% of the global population now living in countries rated as having a 'good' press freedom environment. The report highlights deteriorating conditions in countries like the United States, Russia, and Niger, citing government attacks on journalists, restrictive laws, and media suppression by military juntas. More than half of the world’s countries are now classified as having 'difficult' or 'very serious' press freedom conditions, the worst proportion in the index’s history.
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Press freedom at lowest level in 25 years: ReportSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxThe share of the world’s population living in a country where the press freedom situation is considered “good” has plunged from 20 per cent to less than 1 per cent.PHOTO: PIXABAYPublished Apr 30, 2026, 03:02 PMUpdated Apr 30, 2026, 03:14 PMListenPARIS – Press freedom has fallen to its lowest level in a quarter of a century, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned on April 30.The media rights watchdog cited as examples US President Donald Trump’s “systematic” attacks on journalists and Saudi Arabia, which executed a journalist in 2025.“For the first time in the (RSF) Index’s 25-year history, more than half the world’s countries now fall into the ‘difficult’ or ‘very serious’ categories…
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