Economic strain, authoritarianism top threats to journalism in 2025
DIMAPUR, MAY 3 (MExN): Press freedom worldwide is facing unprecedented threats in 2025 due to a combination of economic vulnerability, violent conflicts, and rising authoritarianism, according to international watchdogs and UN agencies marking World Press Freedom Day.
The theme for 2025 is “Reporting in the Brave New World – The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom and the Media.” This theme focuses on how emerging technologies like AI reshape journalism and media operations.
A joint reading of the 2025 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a global press freedom watchdog, along with statements by UNESCO and the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), paints a grim picture of the current media landscape. While censorship and political repression remain serious threats, the most urgent challenge now stems from the structural economic decline of the media industry.
Economic Collapse of Journalism
The RSF Index noted that collapsing financial models, especially in local and regional newsrooms, have left vast populations without reliable, independent news coverage. The growing control of online information flows by a handful of digital platforms—often unregulated—has accelerated this deterioration.
Although physical attacks against journalists are the most visible violations of press freedom, economic pressure is also a major and more insidious problem. The economic indicator on the RSF World Press Freedom Index stood at an unprecedented low in 2025, marking a continued decline. As a result, the global state of press freedom is now classified as a “difficult situation” for the first time in the history of the Index.
For over ten years, the Index has warned of a worldwide decline in press freedom. In 2025, a new low point was reached: the average score of all assessed countries fell below 55 points, placing them in the “difficult situation” category. More than 6 out of 10 countries (112 in total) saw their overall scores decline in the Index.
For the first time in the Index’s history, conditions for practising journalism are “difficult” or “very serious” in over half the world’s countries and are considered “satisfactory” in fewer than one in four.
An Increasingly Red Map
In 42 countries—harbouring over half of the world’s population—the situation is classified as “very serious.” In these areas, press freedom is entirely absent, and practising journalism is particularly dangerous.
This includes Palestine (163rd), where the Israeli army has, for over 18 months, been dismantling journalism—killing nearly 200 media professionals, including at least 43 while they were working, and imposing a media blackout on the besieged Gaza Strip. Israel (112th) continued its decline in the Index, dropping 11 places.
Three East African countries—Uganda (143rd), Ethiopia (145th), and Rwanda (146th)—entered the “very serious” category this year. Hong Kong (140th) also moved into the red zone for the first time and is now ranked similarly to China (178th, down six places), which has joined the bottom three countries, alongside North Korea (179th) and Eritrea (180th). In Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan (144th) and Kazakhstan (141st) have contributed to the region’s overall decline. In the Middle East, Jordan (147th) plummeted 15 places, largely due to repressive legislation used against the press.
Deadliest Year for Journalists
According to data from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), at least 124 journalists were killed in 2024, making it the deadliest year in more than a decade. The Gaza conflict alone accounted for over 70 deaths, most of whom were Palestinian journalists. Others were targeted in politically unstable countries such as Sudan, Myanmar, Mexico, Pakistan, and Haiti, where journalists were often killed for exposing corruption or reporting on human rights violations.
In Bangladesh, the situation has deteriorated rapidly under an interim military-backed administration. Over 1,000 journalists have reportedly faced legal persecution, harassment, or exile.
Digital Threats and Misinformation
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) highlighted the complex threat of disinformation campaigns and the use of AI-generated fake news, noting that technological manipulation is increasingly being used to undermine credible journalism. In many cases, misinformation spreads faster than verified news, leaving fact-based journalism struggling to regain public trust.
UNESCO emphasized the central role of journalism in democratic societies, warning that without it, the public is left vulnerable to manipulation. “Only through journalism can we see the full picture,” the agency stated, urging member states to strengthen protections for journalists, including legal frameworks and emergency support mechanisms.
Ongoing Wave of Media Shutdowns
According to data collected by RSF for the 2025 Index, in 160 out of the 180 countries assessed, media outlets are achieving financial stability “with difficulty” or “not at all.”
Worse still, news outlets are shutting down due to economic hardship in nearly a third of countries globally. This is the case in the United States (57th, down two places), Tunisia (129th, down 11 places), and Argentina (87th, down 21 places).
The situation in Palestine (163rd) remains disastrous. In Gaza, the Israeli army has destroyed newsrooms, killed nearly 200 journalists, and imposed a total blockade on the territory for over 18 months. In Haiti (112th, down 18 places), a lack of political stability has further plunged the media economy into chaos.
Even relatively high-ranking countries such as South Africa (27th) and New Zealand (16th) are not immune to such challenges.
Thirty-four countries stand out for experiencing mass closures of media outlets, which in turn has led to the forced exile of journalists in recent years. This is particularly evident in Nicaragua (172nd, down nine places), Belarus (166th), Iran (176th), Myanmar (169th), Sudan (156th), Azerbaijan (167th), and Afghanistan (175th), where economic difficulties are compounded by political pressure.
India Rise to Rank 151
The RSF index also reported that India has risen to rank 151 out of 180. India, ranked at 151, has been sliding over the past years, falling from 140 in 2019 to 142 in 2020 and 2021, and further down to 150 in 2022 and 161 in 2023. India’s neighbouring Pakistan fell to 158 from 150 in 2023 and 157 in 2022.
The report said that in many countries, including India, the concentration of media ownership in the hands of political magnates threatens media plurality and consolidates control in a few hands. In Lebanon (132), India, Armenia (34) and Bulgaria (70), many outlets owe their survival to conditional financing from individuals close to the political or business worlds, the report noted.
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