Story perspectives

2026 Press Freedom Index: Global Decline, US Falls to 64

5/2/2026

Summary

Story summary

Reporters Without Borders issued its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, ranking 180 countries and noting a historic drop in press-freedom scores.
More than half of nations are now classified as “difficult” or “very serious,” the first majority in the index’s 25-year history.
Norway remained number one for a tenth year, while the United States slipped to 64th after President Donald Trump’s attacks on journalists and cuts to U.S. international broadcasting.

History

Historical Context

After the 1971 6-3 Supreme Court ruling in New York Times Co. v. United States lifted prior-restraint on the Pentagon Papers, press freedom became a legal benchmark. Reporters Without Borders, founded in 1980 and rating about 180 nations, has since ranked Norway atop its index for a decade. The 2026 index now places the United States at 64th, reflecting lingering effects of former President Donald Trump’s attacks on journalists.

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Story summary

Reporters Without Borders issued its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, ranking 180 countries and noting a historic drop in press-freedom scores.
More than half of nations are now classified as “difficult” or “very serious,” the first majority in the index’s 25-year history.
Norway remained number one for a tenth year, while the United States slipped to 64th after President Donald Trump’s attacks on journalists and cuts to U.S. international broadcasting.

1 / 2