Snapshot 4:Thu, Sep 11, 2025 12:24:07 PM GMT last edited by Joshua

Report: Global Press Freedom Hits 50-Year Low as Democracy Declines

Published SEP 11 2025

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Above: Journalists stage a demonstration for their colleagues Omar al Dirawi and Eric Sahin in January 2025. Image credit: AEED JARAS/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

ThePress alarming decline in press freedom representschallenges astem directfrom assaultlegitimate onnational democracysecurity itself,concerns asand authoritarian forces worldwide exploit disinformation as a pretextnew todigital silence independent journalismreality. Governments areface systematicallythe dismantlingdifficult thetask freeof pressbalancing throughmedia heavy-handedfreedoms interventions,with defamationprotecting lawsuitscitizens andfrom mediafalse consolidationinformation that leavescan journalistsincite vulnerableviolence toor stateundermine controlsocial cohesion. TheBalanced toxicuse combination of pandemic-eraregulatory restrictionsmeasures and risingmedia authoritarianismoversight hasrepresent creatednecessary tools for maintaining order in an unprecedentedera crisisof requiringinformation immediatewarfare internationaland interventionforeign tointerference protectin democraticdomestic institutionsaffairs.

Ku Leuven Atlantic

PressThe alarming decline in press freedom challengesrepresents stema fromdirect legitimateassault nationalon securitydemocracy concernsitself, andas theauthoritarian needforces toworldwide combatexploit actual disinformation thatas threatensa publicpretext safetyto andsilence democraticindependent stabilityjournalism. Governments faceare thesystematically difficultdismantling taskthe offree balancingpress, medialeaving freedomsjournalists withvulnerable protectingto citizensstate fromcontrol. falseThe informationtoxic thatcombination canof incitepandemic-era violencerestrictions or undermine social cohesion. Regulatory measures and mediarising oversightauthoritarianism representhas necessarycreated tools for maintaining order in an eraunprecedented ofglobal informationcrisis, warfarethreatening andthe foreignvery interferencesurvival inof domesticjournalism affairsitself.

The Guardian RSF

Metaculus Prediction

There is a 50% chance that over 30 journalists in the U.S. will face criminal charges related to their work before 2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.