The Silent Strangulation of Press Freedom: How Economic Threats Are Killing Journalism

The Reporters without borders 2025 index is bad news for democracy

The 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index that was just released paints a grim picture: for the first time in history, the global state of press freedom has been classified as a “difficult situation.” And by “difficult,” they mean a complete dumpster fire. While violence against journalists remains a visible crisis and a headline grabber—it’s hard to ignore a bullet or a bomb—but the real villain here is the economic fragility of modern media. It’s the slow, sneaky killer, like an infestation in the foundations of democracy.

The collapse of traditional media economics means journalism doesn’t pay very well, and news outlets are going bankrupt without state intervention. Newsrooms are caught in a Catch-22 that would make Joseph Heller proud: do they stick to their principles and report the truth, or do they sell their souls to stay afloat? The economic indicator of the RSF Index has hit rock bottom, with media in 160 out of 180 countries struggling financially, if they’re still open. In ne…