Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in its 2025 Press Freedom Index that this year marks the most alarming decline in global press freedom over the past decade. According to the report, media in 160 out of 180 countries are facing serious financial challenges and are struggling to survive economically.

The organization highlighted that 2025 is the first time in ten years that the global state of press freedom is officially classified as a “difficult situation.” The report notes that countries including the United States, Argentina, and Tanzania are experiencing significant media setbacks due to financial shortages. In 34 countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, Sudan, and Azerbaijan, the lack of funding has led to the closure of numerous news outlets, forcing many journalists into exile.

According to RSF, the United States is now ranked 57th in the index. The report stated that following Donald Trump’s return to power, international journalism has been seriously affected by the suspension of funding from key US government agencies, including the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The report also shows that countries like Russia, China, and Hungary have media landscapes dominated by state control. RSF raised serious concerns about the concentration of media ownership in countries such as Australia, France, Canada, and Czechia, where control by governments or wealthy individuals threatens editorial independence and reduces the diversity of viewpoints.

Iran and Syria are among the lowest-ranked countries in the 2025 index. Journalists in 92 countries reported that media owners decide what stories can or cannot be published, often restricting editorial freedom. 

RSF’s report said: “In over half of the countries and territories evaluated by the Index (92 out of 180), a majority of respondents reported that media owners 'always' or 'often' limited their outlet’s editorial Independence."

Afghanistan ranks 175th out of 180 countries in the 2025 Press Freedom Index. Since the Islamic Emirate returned to power, many media outlets have been shut down across the country.

Additional rankings in this year’s index include the United States at 57th, Russia at 171st, India at 151st, the United Arab Emirates at 164th, France at 25th, Canada at 21st, and Australia at 29th.

The report also points to the ongoing war in Gaza, where Israeli forces have destroyed press offices and killed around 200 journalists since the conflict began.