[Salon] US Falls to Historic Low in 2026 World Press Freedom Index

4/30/26

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The United States has fallen to its lowest-ever ranking on the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, released today by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), dropping seven places to 64th out of 180 countries. This decline underscores a deepening crisis across multiple indicators, including legal protections, journalist safety, economic viability, and political hostility toward the press under the second Trump administration.

“The United States is facing a press freedom crisis that should concern anyone who cares about democracy. A free press cannot function where it is politically targeted, legally constrained, and exposed to growing physical risks. The US has experienced a steady decline in the RSF Index over the past decade, but President Trump is pouring gasoline on the fire. Trump and his administration have carried out a coordinated war on press freedom since the day he took office, and we will live with the consequences for years to come. The Index shows that this decline is measurable and ongoing, but preventable. Our message is clear: Protect legal rights, ensure accountability for attacks on media professionals, and support independent media to restore American press freedom.”

Clayton Weimers
Executive Director,
Reporters Without Borders, North America

Globally, the Index indicates that the US decline is part of a broader and deeply alarming trend. The 2026 Index shows that 52.2% of countries now fall into the “difficult” or “very serious” categories for press freedom, compared to just 13.7% in 2002, while less than 1% of the world’s population now lives in a country where press freedom is considered “good.” The global average score has reached its lowest level in 25 years, and the legal indicator has deteriorated in more than 60% of countries worldwide.

RSF is deeply concerned about the decline of press freedom in the US, and calls on the authorities to reverse this trajectory by: strengthening legal protections for journalists, ensuring accountability for attacks against the press, restoring funding and independence to public media institutions, and reaffirming the fundamental role of a free press in a democratic society.

Read the full RSF World Press Freedom Index global analysis here. To view the map and rankings or read our methodology, visit rsf.org/en/index.

Press contacts:

Sarah Zaaimi, Communications Manager
Reporters Without Borders, North America
(202) 170-1550
szaaimi@rsf.org

Marwa Barakat, Communications Assistant
Reporters Without Borders, North America
mbarakat@rsf.org