TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Press freedom around the world has dropped to its lowest level on record, with financial instability now posing one of the most serious threats to independent journalism, according to the 2025 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
For the first time in its history, the Index classifies the global situation as “difficult.” The economic indicator, one of five key metrics used to assess press conditions, has fallen to its lowest point since the Index was created in 2002.
"In 160 out of the 180 countries assessed, that’s 88.9 percent, media outlets achieve financial stability only ‘with difficulty’ or ‘not at all,’" RSF said. "Worse, news outlets are shutting down due to economic hardship in nearly a third of countries globally."
The decline is being driven by a combination of ownership concentration, shrinking public subsidies, opaque funding mechanisms, and the growing dominance of digital platforms over advertising revenue. These pressures are forcing many newsrooms to choose between economic survival and editorial independence.
“Without economic independence, there can be no free press,” said RSF Editorial Director Anne Bocandé.
“When news media are financially strained, they are drawn into a race to attract audiences at the expense of quality reporting, and can fall prey to the oligarchs and public authorities who seek to exploit them.”
She added that poverty among journalists undermines their ability to resist disinformation and propaganda.
“The media’s financial independence is a necessary condition for ensuring free, trustworthy information that serves the public interest. Solutions exist and must be deployed on a large scale.”
U.S. Decline Highlights Broader Trend
The United States dropped two places to 57th in the 2025 Index, with RSF noting a 14-point drop in its economic score over two years. The collapse of local news organizations has turned vast parts of the country into “news deserts,” particularly in states like Arizona, Florida, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
According to the Index, over 60 percent of journalists and media experts surveyed in those states said it is “difficult to earn a living wage as a journalist,” while 75 percent reported that “the average media outlet struggles for economic viability.”
RSF linked this worsening situation to political decisions. “President Donald Trump’s second term has already intensified this trend,” the report noted, citing the sudden termination of funding for the U.S. Agency for Global Media and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
These cuts affected newsrooms like Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, depriving more than 400 million people of access to reliable information. Funding freezes have also forced media closures in partner countries such as Ukraine, which dropped to 62nd in the Index.
Media Closures and Exile
The economic crisis is also contributing to a wave of journalist exiles. In 34 countries, media professionals have been forced to leave their home countries due to collapsing business models and political repression. Nicaragua, Belarus, Iran and Afghanistan are among the worst-affected.
The trend is not limited to authoritarian regimes. Even in higher-ranked democracies such as South Africa (27th) and New Zealand (16th), media outlets are shutting down under financial strain.
“Much of this is due to ownership concentration, pressure from advertisers and financial backers, and public aid that is restricted, absent, or allocated in an opaque manner,” RSF stated.
Editorial Independence Under Threat
In 46 countries, RSF found that media ownership is highly concentrated, often limiting editorial freedom. In France, eight individuals control 20 press outlets that account for 81 percent of daily newspaper circulation and 95 percent of general-interest weekly magazines.
Survey data from the Index revealed that in more than half of the countries assessed, a majority of respondents said media owners “always” or “often” interfere with editorial decisions.
These conditions were reported in India, Lebanon, Armenia, and across 21 countries where media financing is tied to political or business elites.
Digital Dominance and the Advertising Drain
Online platforms continue to erode traditional revenue streams. Advertising spending on social media reached 247.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, a 14 percent increase from the previous year. RSF warned that these unregulated tech giants not only divert ad revenue away from journalism but also amplify misinformation.
A Global Recession for Journalism
The average global score in the Index fell below 55 points for the first time, officially placing the global state of press freedom in the “difficult” category. Conditions for journalism are now poor in more than half of the world’s countries and satisfactory in fewer than one in four.
Six new countries have entered the Index’s most severe category, “very serious,” including Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Hong Kong. In Gaza, RSF reported that nearly 200 journalists have been killed over 18 months of Israeli military operations. Israel dropped 11 places to 112th.
“Guaranteeing freedom, independence and plurality in today’s media landscape requires stable and transparent financial conditions,” Bocandé said. “The media economy must urgently be restored to a state that is conducive to journalism and ensures the production of reliable information, which is inherently costly.”
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