The global state of the freedom of the press

The Hindu

04-05-2025

On May 3, 2025 the world marked Press Freedom Day, an event that seeks to honour, and reinforce, the commitment of nations to a free and robust media. Just a day before, on May 2, Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans Frontières- RSF) released the Press Freedom Index, its annual ranking of the status of journalistic freedom in 180 countries worldwide. While Norway tops the chart, Eritrea, under a dictatorship, scores the lowest rank. India places at a dismal 151. Another indicator— the Committee to Protect Journalists recorded that 103 journalists were killed in 2024; 15 have already died globally as of April 2025.
Also Read: Why is May 3 observed as World Press Freedom Day?
The journalist, whether today or historically, stares down polarised political environments, war, and an easily distracted public. Hostile governments and legal strictures further complicate a profession already widely cited to be at risk. As the world sees a tilt in the authoritarian direction, media is one of the spaces where the political war plays out. Further, with conditions and challenges varying by country, the state of the press often serves as a bellwether for the state of freedom in general.
How are countries treating their press? We take a detailed look.
World Press Freedom Day 2025
World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following a recommendation to this effect in UNESCO's General Conference. The day picked for the purpose was May 3— the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press, made in 1992 at a UNESCO seminar held in Windhoek, Namibia.
The day serves as a reminder to governments to respect their commitment to a free press. Since 1997, the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize is also formally awarded on this day. It is named for Guillermo Cano Isaza, the founder of Colombian newspaper El Espectador who was assassinated in front of its offices in Bogotá on December 17, 1986.
This year's prize was awarded to Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa- El Diario de los Nicaragüenses, which has operated in exile since 2021. Founded in 1926 in Managua, the newspaper weathered repression and confiscation of its assets in Nicargua, as well as the arrest of its leaders, to continue reporting about conditions in its home country from locations abroad.
In 2024, the prize was awarded to Palestinan journalists covering the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Other recent winners have included Niloofar Hamedi, Elaheh Mohammadi and Narges Mohammadi from Iran (2023), the Belarus Association of Journalists (2022), and Maria Ressa from the Philippines (2021).
World Press Freedom Index 2025
Since 2002, RSF has published the World Press Freedom Index, offering an insight into conditions on the ground. This year's edition was released on May 2, 2025.
Norway topped the list in 2025— as it did last year— followed by Estonia, Netherlands, Sweden, and Finland. Last year also saw the top ranks dominated by Scandinavian and European nations, with the top five being rounded out by Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands and Finland. The country ranked lowest this year is Eritrea (180), and rounding out the last five are Iran (176), Syria (177), China (178) and North Korea (179). India obtained a rank of 151, improving on its showing of 159 last year.
The world leaders in press freedom
Scandinavian countries have repeatedly featured at the top of press freedom lists, boosted by robust legal protections and a diversified media industry. In Norway, freedom of expression and the right to public information are protected both by the constitution and standalone legislations. Further, diverse ownership is ensured by competition authorities, while zero VAT has spurred industry growth.
In general, the countries of Northern and Western Europe perform well on the RSF World Press Freedom Index, while South and Eastern Europe lag behind— Italy is at 49. The first non-European nation on the list is New Zealand, at 16, while the first Asian nation is Taiwan (24). South Africa (27) is the top nation from the African continent.
The top country from the Americas is, interestingly, Trinidad and Tobago, a tiny Carribean country, at 19. Canada follows at 21. The United States, despite vocal proponents for the freedom of speech and expression, places at an unimpressive 57. This follows even as President Donald Trump has cut down on funds for public media and global journalism networks via executive orders. The credibility of the profession has also been called into question, with corporate ownership and partisanship forming part of the uncertain equation.
Among other major economies, Germany places at 11, United Kingdom at 20, France at 25, Brazil at 63 and Japan at 66.
The stragglers
According to RSF, the world's least free country in terms of press freedom is Eritrea, ruled with an iron fist by President Issayas Afeworki. All independent media has been banned since 2001, and only a few state-controlled outlets exist, subject to strict oversight. Freedom of the press is technically guaranteed by the Constitution but non-existent in practice, with arbitrary detentions, surveillance and imprisonment.
North Korea slipped from its 2024 rank of 177 to 179 on 2025's Index. Under Kim Jong-un's dictatorship, there is heavy surveillance, censorship, policing of freedom of speech and the media. The only permitted news source for North Korean media is the Korean Central News Agency, which relays government propaganda, and foreign news agencies such as AFP operate under strict surveillance. Again, the freedom of the press is part of the Constitution, but not exercised. Arrest, detention, and killing of journalists is not uncommon, and the government has particular ire for journalists in South Korea. It does not spare its own— North Koreans can be penalised or sent to labour camps for accessing media from outside the country.
Syria rose to rank 177 from 179 last year, the slight bump perhaps attributable to a freer media climate post the end of Bashar-al Assad's dictatorship in November 2024. Media in exile have returned and international news agencies are now operational in Damascus. RSF notes that the new government's Minister of Information, Mohamed al-Omar, has promised to uphold freedom of expression and work toward a free press. During Assad's regime, crackdowns, imprisonment and extrajudicial assassinations of members of the press were not uncommon. The political situation under Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and President Ahmed al-Sharaa remains volatile, albeit with relatively more security for journalists.
Maintaining its rank of 176 from last year, Iran retains a hostile environment for the media. Conditions worsened after the detention and death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022, with many journalists being imprisoned for their reportage on Ms. Amini and the protests following her death. RSF notes that 23 journalists remain in detention today. The country's media is controlled by its Islamic regime, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei frequently alleges foreign influence on independent media in the country. Freedom of the press is guaranteed by the Constitution., but under press laws, journalists are proscribed from endangering the Islamic Republic, offending the clergy or the Supreme Leader and spreading false information. Arbitrary detention, persecution and imprisonment of journalists is common.
China finds itself at rank 178 this year, a fall from 172 in 2024. Chinese media giants such as Xinhua News Agency, China Central Television (CCTV), China National Radio (CNR), and newspapers China Daily, People's Daily and the Global Times, as well as the internationally broadcast China Global Television Network (CGTN) and Radio China International (RCI) are state-owned. There is state censorship of content and dissemination of state-approved messaging by press, and China is also reportedly considering a law to ban all private investment in media. The country's Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and press. However, journalists may find themselves being surveilled, detained or even tortured, and accused of crimes against the Chinese government. According to RSF, China is the world's largest jailer of journalists, with at least 110 detained at present.
Other countries with a penchant for jailing journalists of late have included Belarus, Russia and Israel. Russia, with its intense censorship, repression of dissidents and state propaganda machine, saw 30 journalists jailed in 2024. The state of media freedom in Israel has worsened as its war with Palestine continues, with several journalists killed by Israeli strikes. 43 were imprisoned last year, according to the CPJ.
India and its neighbours
India's press freedom is in crisis, according to the RSF Index. Violence against journalists, ownership of media being concentrated in the hands of a few, and increasing political polarisation are some reasons for its rank of 151. RSF also highlights the rise of Godi media, selective media access to government officials and the Prime Minister, and backlash against criticism of the government as factors hindering freedom of the media. It also notes that the media landscape is highly dependent on advertising revenue— the primary source for which is the Indian government.
Also read: Indians fear fake news but are less concerned about press freedom
China fares poorly at 178, and so does Afghanistan, which finds itself, at 175, among the bottom ten countries in the index. The Taliban's return to power in August 2021 signalled a decline in freedom and increased state control of the media. Dissidents are not tolerated by a government which imposes strict ideological control over the masses, and expects journalists to disseminate government-approved information. Media is closely monitored, circumscribed by the so-called '11 rules of journalism,' and the 2024 Law on the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice bans the broadcast of images of living creatures, shuttering numerous television channels. Several subjects are also proscribed, including criticism of the Taliban rule, religion, and women's rights.
Per the RSF website, more than two-thirds of Afghan journalists left the profession since 2021, including eight out of every 10 women. Women still in the media face strict restrictions, such as bans from appearing on air, or travelling without a companion. Independent media depended on international funding and projects to survive, and has now collapsed after the stopping of international aid. The threat of arrest by security forces and the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) also hovers over the Afghan press.
Bangladesh ranked 149th in this year's edition of the World Press index, up from 165 last year. While the media landscape is dotted by state broadcasters, there exist several private players, with prominent newspapers such as Prothom Alo (Bengali) and Daily Star (English) retaining some measure of editorial independence. Former prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's regime saw increasing levels of censorship, with laws like the Cyber Security Act, and Digital Security Act imposing draconian curbs on the freedom of speech. Journalists may also find themselves at the receiving end of violence from police, political elements and religious extremists. RSF notes that after the fall of Sheikh Hasina in 2024, around 130 journalists were subjected to unfounded judicial proceedings and five were detained.
Myanmar is at rank 169, up three steps from its 171 ranking in 2024. The military coup of 2021 stymied progress towards greater freedom after the previous coup in 2011. The junta, headed by Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, issued a list of publications that were banned, and other media outlets have gone into exile. Government-controlled media conveys approved messaging to the public, and coverage of human rights violations, such as the plight of the Rohingyas, is censored. Journalists may be detained under vague penal provisions for false information or defamation, or for promoting terrorism, fear and instability. They are also at risk from anti-junta groups or ethnic armed organisations.
Press freedom was already fragile in Mynamar during the previous regime under Aung Sang Suu Kyi, with coverage of ethnic minority conflict being taboo. In 2018, two Reuters journalists had been arrested post their work investigating a massacre of Rohingyas, and faced trial before eventually being pardoned. Myanmar continues to jail journalists at an alarming rate; CPJ placed it third on its list of the world's largest jailers of journalists. According to RSF, around 60 media workers remained detained in Myanmar.
Pakistan, at 158, has slid down from a ranking of 152 last year. State monopoly on media ended in 2002, and many TV channels, newspapers and radio stations flourish in Urdu, English and regional languages. However, there is a huge influence of the military in governance, which in turn influences control over the media. This means lowered tolerance for criticism of either the military or the government. Legal provisions may be used to curb media activities, and the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act reportedly does not offer adequate safeguards. Further, journalist safety is a concern in the country, with risk of surveillance and detention, and multiple cases of murder.
Bhutan (152) ranks right after India in this year's list, dropping a few ranks down from last year (147). Despite several private players, the media industry in the landlocked kingdom struggles from a lack of independence. For example, the Bhutan Broadcasting Service is state-owned and not assured of editorial independence. Journalists face difficulties in access to government information. There is also self-censorship and the risk of government retaliation for critical articles.
Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka have fared better than India, according to the index, but conditions remain far from ideal
Sri Lanka is ranked at 139, and faces the after-effects of the civil war that ended in 2009. Killings of journalists during this turbulent period in Sri Lankan history have largely gone unpunished. Further, before the fall of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa presidency in 2022, there were reports of detention of journalists and gagging of the press. State owned media occupies a lion's share in the country, while some owners of private media too have political links, thus hindering editorial independence. Freedom of expression is not restricted in Sri Lanka, however, it is also not expressly protected. Further, prevention of terrorism laws have been used to suppress reportage on certain issues, such as the condition of minority Tamil communities.
Maldives has a rank of 104, bouncing back from a multi-decade rule by autocratic elements, a draconion defamation law (now repealed) and varying political approaches to press freedom. The Maldives Constitution protects the freedom of the press and says that 'no person shall be compelled to disclose the source of any information that is espoused, disseminated or published by that person.' However, evidentiary law in the country could compel journalists to reveal their sources in court, thus undercutting the constitutional guarantee. Threats from extremist groups and instances of violence or killing of journalists without redressal hinder press security.
Nepal is the only one of India's neighbours to notch a double digit rank, at 90, a fall from its 74 in 2024. It has reportedly acquired a freer media post the dismantling of the monarchy in 2008. It sees major state-owned publications but also many diverse privately-owned ones, and several political parties have their own mouthpieces. Press members have been subjected to defamation and can be subject to legal persecution for inconvenient investigations.
Notably, Nepal is one of the few countries in the world to have freedom of the press as part of its constitution— in its preamble.