Press freedom has fallen to its lowest level in a quarter of a century, the media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned in its annual survey of conditions for journalists in 180 countries.
More than half of the nations fall into the "difficult" or "very serious" categories for the first time in the 25 years that the non-governmental organisation has been compiling its World Press Freedom Index.
"The average score for all countries and territories worldwide has never been so low," RSF said in a statement following the publication on Thursday of the 2026 index.
The watchdog defines press freedom as the ability of journalists to report and share news in the public interest independent of interference, and without threats to their safety.
"Although attacks on the right to information are more diverse and sophisticated, their perpetrators are now operating in plain sight," said RSF editorial director Anne Bocandé.
"Authoritarian states, complicit or incompetent political powers, predatory economic actors and under-regulated online platforms are directly and overwhelmingly responsible for the global decline in press freedom."
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Sharp decline in Sahel
Forty countries, including Rwanda, China and Eritrea, were in the red zone as the worst place to operate.
Eritrea came last for the third year in a row. "Like all of Eritrean society, the media are subject to the absolute arbitrariness of President Issayas Afeworki," said the index. "There are no independent media outlets in this country, sadly notorious for detaining journalists longer than any other country in the world."
The steepest decline in 2026 registered in the index came in Niger, which fell 37 places to 120. That "underscored the wider decline in press freedom in the Sahel region seen in recent years as attacks by armed groups and ruling juntas have suppressed the right to balanced information from diverse sources", RSF said.
Meanwhile the United States has dropped a further seven places to 64, due to what RSF said were systematic attacks on the press by President Donald Trump and drastic cuts to funding for US international broadcasting.
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France ranked 25th, the same position as last year. However, the index pointed to "the concentration of private-sector media groups in the hands of a few businessmen" as an increasing concern.
In particular, the empire established by right-wing tycoon Vincent Bolloré, who has been accused of privileging conservative views on his platforms, raises "fears that opinion will triumph over facts".
Norway once again led the way as the best place to work as a journalist, followed by the Netherlands, Estonia and Denmark.
(with newswires)
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