Story perspectives

Press Freedom Slips Globally as US Drops to 64th Ranking

5/4/2026

Summary

Russia Press Crackdown

U.S. legal indicator fell in 110 of 180 states in 2025-2026, moving the United States to 64th place.
Russia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, India, Egypt, Israel, Georgia, Argentina and El Salvador recorded press-freedom setbacks, including 48 journalists imprisoned in Russia, a baseless terrorism conviction for journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, a 20-year sentence for media mogul Jimmy Lai, legal-indicator drops and anti-media policies that cut scores by 11 and 8 points.

Summary

Press Freedom Falters

The 2026 World Press Freedom Index records a global average score of 54.
52.2 % of 180 surveyed countries now fall in the most troubled categories, up from 13.7 % twenty years ago.
Less than 1 % of the global population lives in nations rated “good” for journalism, down from 20 % in the 2000s.
Norway kept the top spot for ten years while Eritrea stayed bottom for three.

Summary

RSF Blames Decline

The European Media Freedom Act, August 2025, helped EU states keep spots in the 2026 press-freedom rankings, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says.
RSF’s editorial director Anna Bocande blames economic actors, citing Penta Group’s purchase of Slovakia’s tabloid Nový cas, for the decline.
In Slovakia, replacing RTVS with STVR opened a channel for interference, caused the legal-dimension drop in RSF’s 2026 assessment, and pushed Markíza journalists to leave and start an outlet.

Summary

RSF Warns

RSF warns China’s media-control model is being copied by other Asian governments, fueling repression.
The RSF Asia-Pacific bureau in Taipei monitors press-freedom in 33 countries and territories.
RSF’s network of over 100 staff and 150 correspondents tracks violations in 94 countries deemed ‘difficult’ or ‘very serious’.
Bielakowska said U.S. post-9/11 security laws now target media and transnational repression includes detaining journalists and threatening exiled reporters’ families.

History

Historical Context

Reporters Without Borders expanded its World Press Freedom Index in 2022, merging digital incident data with a questionnaire answered by 18 NGOs, 150 correspondents and other experts worldwide, including United Nations partners. Building on the 2013 framework, the 2026 edition continues to track worsening press freedom across hundreds of countries, echoing the organization’s long-term monitoring of repression.

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Russia Press Crackdown

U.S. legal indicator fell in 110 of 180 states in 2025-2026, moving the United States to 64th place.
Russia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, India, Egypt, Israel, Georgia, Argentina and El Salvador recorded press-freedom setbacks, including 48 journalists imprisoned in Russia, a baseless terrorism conviction for journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, a 20-year sentence for media mogul Jimmy Lai, legal-indicator drops and anti-media policies that cut scores by 11 and 8 points.

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