Rsf: global press freedom at an all-time low in 2025, Italy falls to 49th place

Press freedom in the world is increasingly under threat and Italy falls again in the global ranking compiled by Reporters Without Borders, losing three steps on 2024 and placing 49th, the worst result in Western Europe. Norway remains the leader and model in the global ranking, followed by Estonia and the Netherlands. At the bottom of the rankings are China, North Korea and Eritrea, coming in at 178th, 179th and 180th respectively.

"The global press freedom situation in 2025 is at an all-time low," the organisation explains in its analysis. "More than half of the world's population lives in countries with a 'very serious' situation". For Rsf, "press freedom in Italy continues to be threatened by mafia organisations, particularly in the south of the country, as well as by various extremist groups committing acts of violence. Journalists also complain about the attempt by the political class to hinder free information on judicial matters through a 'gag law' that adds to the practice of legal actions brought to intimidate, gag or punish those who try to participate and express themselves on matters of public interest. It gets even worse for the United States, which falls from 55th to 57th place with "the first significant and prolonged decline in press freedom in modern history, while Donald Trump's return to the presidency is making the situation much worse".

Europe continues to be the region of the world where journalists can report with the most freedom, says the organisation, which rates the situation as 'good' in only seven countries, all European. "In addition to a fragile security situation and growing authoritarianism, economic pressure in particular is causing problems for media around the world," Reporters Without Borders said.