Over half of world’s nations face critical threats to journalism; US withdraws traditional support for independent media
Press freedom worldwide has deteriorated sharply, with the global average score dropping from 67 out of 100 in 2014 to below 55 in 2025, according to Reporters Without Borders. More than half of all countries now present difficult or severely challenging conditions for journalists.
The decline reflects systematic government efforts to silence critical reporting. In Serbia, 91 physical attacks on journalists occurred in 2025, often with perpetrators facing no consequences. Following a November 2024 railway station collapse that killed 16 people, thugs assaulted reporters while police stood by.
The United States, historically a defender of global press freedom, has reversed course under the Trump administration. Subsidies to independent foreign media have been eliminated, and outlets like Radio Free America have been shuttered. Without fear of diplomatic repercussions, strongman governments from Azerbaijan to El Salvador have intensified journalist harassment and imprisonment.
Data analysis of 180 countries by The Economist reveals a direct correlation between media suppression and rising corruption. Democratic governments employ three primary tactics: verbal attacks labeling journalists as traitors, legal harassment through lawsuits and arrests, and economic warfare via advertising and funding cuts.
Women journalists face disproportionate targeting, with UN surveys showing 75% experiencing online abuse and 42% receiving personal threats. Recent crackdowns span Turkey, where the government seized Can Holding media group in September, to Tanzania, where reporters covering fraudulent elections faced treason charges.
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