The 2025 World Press Freedom Index brings to light a growing concern that is the financial struggles of media outlets and journalists. These challenges now pose a major threat to press freedom.
This year, the economic subindex saw a sharp decline, dropping more than two points in just one year. Other areas, including security and political conditions, also weakened. As a result, the overall index has fallen into "difficult" territory for the first time.
Anne Bocandé, RSF’s Editorial Director, pointed out that without financial independence, press freedom cannot thrive. With financial pressures mounting, media outlets often find themselves competing for clicks and ratings instead of focusing on quality journalism. In 160 countries, media outlets struggle to stay financially viable. Many face closures, a trend seen both in wealthy and less developed nations.
In the United States, the situation is especially dire. The economic score plunged 5.4 points, far worse than the global average. Local news deserts are becoming more common as local media disappear. Cuts to U.S. government funding for global media organizations, including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, have made matters worse. As a result, millions of people are losing access to reliable information.
On a global scale, the security, social, and legal situation for journalists is slightly improving but still challenging. Scores range between 58 and 67 points, indicating a mild difficulty. However, the political pressure on media has remained high since last year. The economic outlook for the press is the most concerning, hitting a new low of 44.1 points in 2025.
Read next: Systrom Calls for AI to Prioritize Accuracy, Not Engagement, in Wake of Politeness Criticism
This year, the economic subindex saw a sharp decline, dropping more than two points in just one year. Other areas, including security and political conditions, also weakened. As a result, the overall index has fallen into "difficult" territory for the first time.
Anne Bocandé, RSF’s Editorial Director, pointed out that without financial independence, press freedom cannot thrive. With financial pressures mounting, media outlets often find themselves competing for clicks and ratings instead of focusing on quality journalism. In 160 countries, media outlets struggle to stay financially viable. Many face closures, a trend seen both in wealthy and less developed nations.
In the United States, the situation is especially dire. The economic score plunged 5.4 points, far worse than the global average. Local news deserts are becoming more common as local media disappear. Cuts to U.S. government funding for global media organizations, including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, have made matters worse. As a result, millions of people are losing access to reliable information.
On a global scale, the security, social, and legal situation for journalists is slightly improving but still challenging. Scores range between 58 and 67 points, indicating a mild difficulty. However, the political pressure on media has remained high since last year. The economic outlook for the press is the most concerning, hitting a new low of 44.1 points in 2025.
Read next: Systrom Calls for AI to Prioritize Accuracy, Not Engagement, in Wake of Politeness Criticism
