Press freedom in danger

Press freedom is fundamental to the preservation of democratic life. It allows us to monitor governments, demand that they comply with the law and respect human rights. Without press freedom, the media cannot fulfill their role as a counterweight to political and economic powers; there is no access to the information necessary to understand the world and respond to the problems that affect us. The current rise of authoritarianism represents a grave danger to the press and to civil liberties.

This is according to the 2025 World Press Freedom Report recently published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in conjunction with International Press Freedom Day, May 3. For the first time in history, RSF notes, journalism faces a "difficult" situation in half the world and, in a growing number of countries, is practiced under "dangerous" conditions. The index, which assesses press freedom in 180 countries in 2024, considers five factors: economic (economic limitations due to pressure from governments, advertisers, or the media themselves), political (support for media autonomy), legislative (censorship, protection of sources, impunity in cases of violence against journalists), sociocultural (impact of factors such as gender, religion, and ethnicity on the practice of journalism), and security (degree of violence against journalists).

One of the factors that hinders the free development of the press today is economic. The concentration of media in a few hands, the absence, reduction, or manipulation of official support, the disappearance of local media, and the proliferation of digital media, many of which disseminate biased or false news, has reduced the autonomy of journalism, which requires stability and freedom to fulfill the right to inform. In the United States, RSF believes, there is "a debacle" due to the closure of media outlets, especially local ones, and the economic concentration that influences censorship. In Mexico, the CIMAC report "Voices in Resistance" (2025) confirms that the precariousness of journalists affects their work.

Political conditions and the legal framework also affect journalistic capacity to report, especially when it comes to information that is critical or contrary to government interests or, in countries like Mexico, where organized crime attacks those who denounce its activities and human rights violations. In this regard, it is striking that the president considers us to live in "the most democratic country in the world" when a telecommunications law is being considered that would allow blatant censorship. Also concerning are recent statements by the U.S. Attorney General, who has dismantled legal protections for journalists and is considering sanctioning or even detaining those who leak classified or unclassified information, threatening investigative journalists and their sources.

The impunity of violence, direct or indirect attacks against journalists covering conflicts or complex issues, armed conflicts—especially when those covering them are attacked—and increasing censorship affect all journalists but are particularly damaging to women, as CIMAC also documents for Mexico. The most serious situation today is in Palestine, where more than 180 journalists have been murdered, and there is such widespread censorship by the Israeli government that members of the International Press Association have asked the Israeli Supreme Court to intervene to allow international journalists to freely cover the situation in Gaza (Haaretz).

In this context of media concentration, government censorship, and violence, it's no surprise that Argentina has dropped 47 places in two years, Mexico remains "the most dangerous country" for journalism in the Americas, and Nicaragua ranks last in the region. Supporting an independent press today means defending our freedoms and our right to information.