UN chief warns press freedom at 25-year low, calls protection for journalists

The World Press Freedom Index 2026 shows more than half of the 180 countries surveyed are in 'difficult' or 'very serious' conditions, with the worldwide average score at 54.3—the weakest since the Index began in 2002. Some 52.2% of countries occupy the most troubled categories, up from 13.7% two decades ago. Less than 1% of the global population lives in a country with a 'good' environment for journalism, a sharp contrast to around 20% in the early 2000s. The decline is attributed to political rhetoric, financial instability of media outlets, and increasing use of legislation to obstruct reporting; more than 60% of countries saw a downturn in their legal framework for the press, with authorities using national security and anti-terror laws as key tools. War-torn regions like Iraq, Sudan and Yemen are among the most dangerous, and Gaza has seen the killing of more than 220 journalists since October 2023. Norway remains first for the tenth year running, Eritrea is at the bottom for the third year, Syria rose 36 spots after the December 2024 political transition, and the United States fell to 64th place amid political hostility toward the media and perceived policy choices affecting international news agencies.

On World Press Freedom Day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of an unacceptable level of impunity for crimes against journalists, noting that media workers face censorship, surveillance, legal harassment and even death. He stated that truth-tellers are often targeted not only in war zones but wherever those in power fear scrutiny, and emphasized that without a free press there can be no peace or human rights. He highlighted that 85% of crimes against journalists go uninvestigated and then punished, describing this as an unacceptable level of impunity, and warned that press freedom is under unprecedented strain due to economic pressures, new technologies, and manipulation.