Press freedom has fallen to its weakest level in five decades, a new global study revealed. The report, published by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), highlights a sharp decline in media rights between 2019 and 2024.
According to the findings, Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, and Myanmar recorded the steepest falls in press freedom. South Korea also showed a significant drop, linked to a rise in defamation cases against journalists and government raids on reporters’ homes.
Kevin Casas-Zamora, IDEA’s secretary general, described the findings as alarming. He said the study shows the most severe deterioration in a key democratic indicator in 50 years. “We’ve never seen such an acute decline in global press freedom,” he warned.
The report noted that 54 percent of countries experienced a fall in at least one of five democracy indicators in the past five years. Press rights weakened in 43 countries across all continents, including 15 in Africa and 15 in Europe.
Analysts say the decline is driven by government crackdowns, disinformation, and the shrinking of independent local media. During the pandemic, emergency measures in several nations also gave governments greater control over public information, often at the expense of media independence.
Casas-Zamora pointed out that disinformation is playing a dual role. In some cases, false content spreads widely, harming democratic debate. In others, governments use “fake news” as a justification to silence critical voices.
The study also raises concerns about the U.S., noting that political trends there could influence global press freedom. While the report only covers 2019 to 2024, IDEA observed troubling signs during the 2024 U.S. election and early 2025. The institute warned that the international impact of U.S. politics could further undermine democratic values worldwide.
The study concludes that the erosion of press rights is part of a broader democratic decline, putting both media independence and open public debate at risk.
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