India has climbed to 151 out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). While the ranking marks an improvement from 159 in 2024, the report highlights growing threats to independent journalism, especially economic instability and concentrated media ownership.
RSF warns that financial pressures are undermining journalism worldwide, with tech giants like Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft absorbing a large share of advertising revenues that once supported media outlets. In India, the dominance of politically connected business groups over media continues to erode press plurality, the report notes.
India has seen a steady decline in press freedom rankings over the years—dropping from 140 in 2019 to 161 in 2023—before this year’s slight rebound. The country now ranks above nations such as Pakistan (158), China (178), and North Korea (179), but remains in the bottom tier globally.
The report also notes that in 42 countries—representing over half the global population—the state of press freedom is “very serious,” with journalists facing extreme dangers. In countries like China and Vietnam, independent reporting is nearly impossible, while in Gaza, nearly 200 journalists have reportedly been killed amid ongoing conflict.
The United States, ranked 57, saw a two-point decline, attributed to financial instability in local journalism and the politicization of media under President Donald Trump’s second term. Economic challenges have forced several outlets to shut down, both in the US and globally.
Across regions such as the Middle East and North Africa, press freedom remains under siege. The RSF report points to Israel’s destruction of media infrastructure in Gaza and the collapse of journalism in countries like Haiti, Nicaragua, Iran, and Sudan due to political crackdowns and economic hardship.
Even countries with relatively strong press freedom records, such as South Africa and New Zealand, are struggling with financial pressures. The report concludes that the global media landscape is in a state of crisis, with nearly 160 countries reporting difficulty in achieving financial stability for independent journalism.
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
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