Journalism Under Siege: The State of Press Freedom in 2025

This is the private work of Sieb Jansen Schoonhoven, PR-committee member of the Amnesty Student Group Utrecht (AISU), and does not represent an official Amnesty International analysis.

picture source: https://www.freiheit.org/greece/media-status-and-freedom-greece

In 2025, press freedom around the globe has plummeted to one of its lowest points in decades. Journalists are increasingly the targets of violence, repression, and censorship. From Gaza to Mexico, from Azerbaijan to China, the space for independent journalism is shrinking rapidly. This article outlines the latest findings on the global state of press freedom, drawing on new data from 2025, and issues a call to action to protect those who risk their lives to bring us the truth.

A Historic Decline

According to Reporters Without Borders (2025), global press freedom has reached a historic low. For the first time, the RSF World Press Freedom Index rates the overall situation as “difficult,” with the average global score dropping to just 54.7 out of 100. The decline is largely driven by growing political hostility and worsening financial insecurity among media outlets. More than half of the world’s population now lives in countries where journalism is classified as “very serious” in terms of risk and repression.

As noted by Press Gazette (2025), RSF’s economic indicator has hit a record low of 44.1 due to mounting pressure from media ownership concentration, advertiser influence, and insufficient public funding.

The Council on Foreign Relations (2025) asserts that this global decline for press freedom is taking place against a backdrop of overall instability, which features political turmoil, renewed authoritarianism, and democratic reversals, even within countries long regarded as being pro-press.

The following case studies illustrate how these threats play out on the ground, across different regions and regimes. They highlight the diverse and intensifying forms of repression that journalists face in today’s world.

Gaza: Journalism in the Crossfire

Gaza has become the deadliest place in the world for journalists. In 2024 alone, 85 journalists were killed during Israeli military operations, most of them Palestinian reporters documenting the conflict (Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 2025). In early 2025, UN experts condemned what they called the "deliberate silencing" of journalists in Gaza. Detainees face inhumane conditions, and dozens are currently held in administrative detention without trial (OHCHR, 2024).

NOS (2025) reports that nearly 200 Palestinian journalists have died since the outbreak of the conflict, making Gaza not only the most dangerous region for press but also the most tragic symbol of impunity.

One of those journalists was Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna. Shortly before her death in an Israeli airstrike, she shared a message that has since resonated in  the press freedom community: “If I die, I want a loud death. I don’t want to be just breaking news, or a number in a group. I want a death that the world will hear, an impact that will endure through time, and a timeless image that cannot be buried by place or time” (The Guardian, 2025). Her words capture the urgency and human cost behind every statistic, and remind us that press freedom is built on personal courage and sacrifice.

Mexico: Murders Without Justice

Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. Since 2000, more than 150 journalists have been murdered, with many others disappearing or facing threats due to their work (RSF, 2025). Most of these murders remain unsolved, creating an atmosphere of impunity and fear. Journalists are confronted with violence from both organized crime and corrupt government officials. Although the government has established a protection program for journalists, it often proves inadequate. Even journalists under official protection have been killed, showing the severity of the situation. This combination of violence, threats, and a lack of effective protection makes journalism in Mexico extremely dangerous (Murray, 2024).

China: Jailing the Truth

China remains the world's leading jailer of journalists, with at least 50 reporters imprisoned as of December 1, 2024 (CPJ, 2025). This figure likely underrepresents the true number due to pervasive censorship and surveillance that discourage families from speaking out about detentions. Many journalists are jailed under broad anti-state charges, such as "inciting subversion of state power" or espionage, often without transparent legal proceedings. Notably, veteran journalist Dong Yuyu was sentenced to seven years in prison on espionage charges after meeting with a Japanese diplomat, highlighting the government's increasing intolerance for independent reporting (The Guardian, 2024).                                                               

Russia: The Criminalization of War Reporting

Press freedom in Russia has reached a historic low in 2025, with the country ranking 171st out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index (Meduza, 2025). This decline is attributed to intensified censorship, legal persecution of journalists, and the suppression of independent media following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Russian government has enacted stringent "war censorship" laws, criminalizing dissent and labelling independent outlets as "foreign agents" or "undesirable organizations (Abhijay Vaish & Vaish, 2025)." These measures have led to the imprisonment and exile of many journalists and numerous others.

Notably, four journalists, Antonina Favorskaya, Sergei Karelin, Konstantin Gabov, and Artem Kriger, were sentenced to five and a half years in prison for alleged ties to the banned organization associated with the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny (Reuters, 2025). Their trial, held behind closed doors, exemplifies the Kremlin's intensified repression of journalists and political opponents

Azerbaijan: The Disappearance of Independent Media

Press freedom in Azerbaijan has significantly deteriorated, with at least 25 journalists imprisoned since late 2023 amid a widespread crackdown on independent media. Notably, journalist Ulviyya Ali, known for her human rights reporting for Voice of America, was arrested in May 2025 on charges of smuggling, which she and international observers assert are politically motivated. Her detention, along with that of other journalists, underscores the Azerbaijani government's efforts to suppress dissenting voices and control the media narrative (Committee to Protect Journalists, 2025)

A Surge in Violence

The year 2024 was the deadliest for journalists since 2007. CPJ documented 124 journalists and media workers killed, with the majority in the Israel-Gaza conflict. Beyond killings, torture and intimidation have become common tools of repression.

However, 2025 appears on track to be even worse. This alarming trend underscores the escalating disregard for press protections, particularly in conflict zones, and further emphasizes the need for urgent international safeguards. The NOS (2025) emphasizes that physical attacks on journalists are increasingly common, even in democratic states, especially during protests and civil unrest.

Impunity and Repression

UNESCO (2024) reports that 85% of journalist murders worldwide remain unpunished. Many governments actively shield perpetrators or delay investigations. Meanwhile, authoritarian regimes continue to pass laws criminalizing journalism. For instance, Hungary introduced legislation empowering the Sovereignty Protection Office to monitor, penalize, and potentially ban organizations, including media outlets, perceived as threats to national sovereignty. This move has been criticized as an attempt to stifle dissent and likened to Russia's "foreign agent" laws (Spike, 2025).

International Responses: Not Enough

In 2025, international responses to the escalating threats against press freedom have been deemed insufficient. While the European Union's Media Freedom Act, set to be fully implemented in August 2025, aims to enhance transparency and protect journalists within member states, its impact on global press freedom remains limited (Parlamento Europeo, 2025). Similarly, UNESCO's initiatives, including the World Press Freedom Day commemorations, have highlighted the importance of safeguarding journalism but have faced challenges in effecting tangible change in countries where press freedoms are under severe threat (Members’ Research Service, 2025).

Call to Action

The global decline in press freedom described in this article draws a grim picture of the current media environment. The figures from 2024 and the even deadlier trajectory of 2025 demonstrate that journalism has never been more dangerous. Yet, despite the increasing risks, countless journalists persist in uncovering truths, holding power to account, and reporting from the front lines of conflict and repression.

Protecting these individuals requires more than rhetorical support. Governments must take action by releasing imprisoned journalists, reforming repressive laws, and ensuring that crimes against journalists do not go unpunished. International institutions and civil society alike should reinforce protective mechanisms, fund independent journalism, and keep press freedom at the top of diplomatic and human rights agendas.

A free press is not a luxury; it is a necessity for transparency, democracy, and justice. As 2025 continues to unfold, the stakes have never been higher. The right to report, to inform, and to be informed must be defended with urgency and resolve. Only then can the voices that expose injustice and document reality continue to be heard. In 2025, press freedom is under attack from all sides. But the courage of journalists continues to inspire. Journalism is not a crime and the right to information belongs to us all.

References

Abhijay Vaish, & Vaish, A. (2025, 5 mei). Russia Less Free Than Palestine, and other RSF Press Freedom Report Shockers. Outlook India. https://www.outlookindia.com/international/russia-less-free-than-palestine-and-other-rsf-press-freedom-report-shockers

Committee to Protect Journalists. (2025, January). In record year, China, Israel, and Myanmar are world's leading jailers of journalists. Retrieved from https://cpj.org/special-reports/in-record-year-china-israel-and-myanmar-are-worlds-leading-jailers-of-journalists/

Committee to Protect Journalists. (2025, February 12). 2024 deadliest year for journalists; almost 70% killed by Israel. https://cpj.org/2025/02/deadliest-year-on-record-for-journalists-70-killed-by-israel/

Committee to Protect Journalists. (2025, May 9). Azerbaijan arrests two more journalists, increasing crackdown tally to 25. Retrieved from https://cpj.org/2025/05/azerbaijan-arrests-two-more-journalists-increasing-crackdown-tally-to-25/

Council on Foreign Relations. (2025, May 3). World press freedom continues decline at a time of upheaval. https://www.cfr.org/article/world-press-freedom-continues-decline-time-upheaval

Davidson, H. (2024, November 29). China sentences journalist to seven years on spy charges, family says. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/29/china-sentences-journalist-dong-yuyu-to-seven-years-on-spy-charges-family-says

Ellis-Petersen, H. (2025, 18 april). ‘If I die, I want a loud death’: Gaza photojournalist killed by Israeli airstrike. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/18/gaza-photojournalist-killed-by-israeli-airstrike-fatima-hassouna

LatAm Journalism Review. (2024, December 18). Violence against journalists in Mexico continues. https://latamjournalismreview.org

Meduza. (2025, mei 2). Between independence and survival. Meduza. https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/05/03/between-independence-and-survival

Mexico. (2025, 5 september). RSF. Mexico | Mexico | RSF 

Members’ Research Service. (2025, 5 mei). 2025 World Press Freedom Day. Epthinktank. https://epthinktank.eu/2025/05/05/2025-world-press-freedom-day/?utm_source

Murray, C. (2024, 26 augustus). Silenced: how journalism became Mexico’s most dangerous profession. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/0627db4d-d5c4-425e-81a0-29a11c75d2d2

NOS. (2025, May 2). Persvrijheid wereldwijd op dieptepunt, zeggen journalistenorganisaties. https://nos.nl/artikel/2565741-persvrijheid-wereldwijd-op-dieptepunt-zeggen-journalistenorganisaties

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. (2024, 1 februari). Gaza: UN experts condemn killing and silencing of journalists. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/02/gaza-un-experts-condemn-killing-and-silencing-journalists

Press Gazette. (2025, May 3). RSF downgrades global press freedom index to all-time low. https://pressgazette.co.uk/news/rsf-moves-downgrades-global-press-freedom-index-to-all-time-loe

Reporters Without Borders. (2025). RSF World Press Freedom Index 2025: Economic fragility a leading threat to press freedom. https://rsf.org/en/rsf-world-press-freedom-index-2025-economic-fragility-leading-threat-press-freedom

Russian journalists jailed for 5-1/2 years for alleged extremist ties to Navalny | Reuters

Spike, J. (2025, 14 mei). Hungary targets critics with bill that would blacklist critical media and NGOs | AP News. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/hungary-orban-fidesz-bill-media-ngos-control-73586b0f1decfae351c4c7700eec4511

UNESCO. (2024, November 2). 85% of journalist killings go unpunished. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/85-journalist-killings-remain-unpunished-worldwide-unesco-report#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20new%20UNESCO,4%20points%20in%20six%20years.&text=In%202022%20and%202023%2C%20a,ever%20be%20held%20to%20account.

World Press Freedom Day 3 May: defending media freedom to safeguard democracy | Attualità | Parlamento europeo. (2025, May 2nd). https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/it/press-room/20250430IPR28178/world-press-freedom-day-3-may-defending-media-freedom-to-safeguard-democracy?utm_source