PRESS freedom in the United States has worsened considerably under President Donald Trump’s second term, according to the latest report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a Paris-based watchdog monitoring global media freedom for over two decades.
In its annual global index, RSF revealed that the US has dropped two more places to 57th position—falling behind Sierra Leone, a West African nation recovering from years of civil conflict. The report attributes this decline to the Trump administration’s systematic targeting of independent media and the weaponization of government institutions against journalists.
“In the United States, Donald Trump’s second term as president has led to an alarming deterioration in press freedom, indicative of an authoritarian shift in government,” RSF stated in its review. “His administration has weaponized institutions, cut support for independent media, and side-lined reporters. Large parts of the United States were now ‘news deserts’.”
The global index, compiled from incidents of violence against journalists and analysis by media experts, shows that for the first time in its 23-year history, conditions for journalism are now considered “poor” in half of the world’s countries. Fewer than one in four enjoy “satisfactory” conditions.
Anne Bocandé, RSF’s editorial director, said economic pressures have severely affected journalism, particularly fact-based reporting. “When journalists are impoverished, they no longer have the means to resist the enemies of the press — those who champion disinformation and propaganda,” she said.
While global spending on online advertising reached $247.3 billion in 2024, RSF pointed out that a growing share is being siphoned off by tech giants like Facebook, Google, and Amazon — leaving traditional media outlets struggling.
In the United States, the Trump administration has made deep financial cuts to federally funded news outlets, including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Foreign aid meant to support independent journalism overseas has also been slashed, the report added.
On Wednesday, Trump renewed his combative stance toward the press, threatening legal action against The New York Times and Paramount Media Group over a pre-election interview featuring Vice-President Kamala Harris. The interview, aired on one of the group’s channels, reportedly irked the administration.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), another respected media watchdog, echoed RSF’s concerns. In a separate statement, the CPJ called on American newsrooms to stand together in response to the “rising tide of threats” they now face.
Press freedom is declining in other countries as well, notably in Argentina — which dropped 21 places to 87th under the right-wing leadership of Trump ally Javier Milei — and Tunisia, which slipped 11 places to 129th.
Norway retained its position at the top of the index for the seventh consecutive year, followed by Estonia and the Netherlands.
