At the end of April, Reporters without Borders published its 2026 Press Freedom Index, the 25th since it started publishing the index in 2002.
In the latest index, the USA slipped seven places and is now ranked 64th. For a country that purports to be a bastion of freedom to come so low down is shocking.
The UK improved two places to 18. Ireland stayed the same (#7) as did France (#25). Germany slipped three places to 14 and Canada slipped one place to 21.
For the third year in a row, Eritrea came last (#180) and the tenth year in a row, Norway came first, something they can be justly proud about. Hats off to Scandinavia as a whole – Sweden ranked 4th, Finland 5th and Denmark 6th.
Taken as a whole, the report made for pretty grim reading.
According to RSF, “for the first time in the history of the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index, over half of the world’s countries now fall into the ‘difficult’ or ‘very serious’ categories for press freedom.”
The accompanying commentary by Anne Bocandé, RSF editorial director, is worth reproducing in full: “By providing a retrospective of the past 25 years, RSF isn’t just looking back – it’s looking squarely at the future with a simple question: how much longer will we tolerate the suffocation of journalism, the systematic obstruction of reporters and the continued erosion of press freedom?
“Although attacks on the right to information are more diverse and sophisticated, their perpetrators are now operating in plain sight.
“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.
“Given this context, inaction is a form of endorsement. It’s no longer enough just to state principles – effective measures to protect journalists are essential and must be seen as a catalyst for change.
“This starts with ending the criminalisation of journalism: the misuse of national security laws, SLAPPs, and the systematic obstruction of those who investigate, expose and name names.
“Current protection mechanisms are not strong enough; international law is being undermined and impunity is rife. We need firm guarantees and meaningful sanctions. The ball is in the court of democracies and their citizens. It is up to them to stand in the way of those who seek to silence the press. The spread of authoritarianism isn’t inevitable.”
Very sobering indeed and it’s time for the politicians in all countries to step up to the plate and deliver on press freedom. Any country claiming to be, or aspiring to be, a democracy that ranks poorly on the index needs to take a long hard look at itself.
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