India’s ranking in 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index improves to 151

Increasing economic pressures serious threat to global press freedom: RSF

In the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Friday, India ranks 151st, a slight improvement from 159th last year. Despite this progress, challenges to press freedom and journalistic independence persist.

The 2025 World Press Freedom Index, released on Friday, ranks India at 151, an improvement from 159th in 2024. Despite this shift, the country continues to grapple with substantial challenges to press freedom and media independence.

In a press statement, global press freedom activist group, Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF) says that the annual report highlights worsening conditions for the press in India, pointing to increasing economic pressure on independent media, growing reliance on government advertising, and declining editorial freedom.

It adds that despite the improvement, the latest ranking places India among countries with some of the most fragile media environments, raising concerns about the sustainability and independence of journalism in the world’s largest democracy.

The statement adds that the report which assessed press conditions in 180 countries and territories, finds that financial instability is now more damaging to press freedom than political repression or legal censorship.

It adds that the warning comes at a time when media outlets around the world are cutting staff, shutting operations, or becoming financially dependent on governments and corporations to survive.

The report shows that 138 of the 180 countries studied received poor scores in the economic indicator, which measures how financial conditions affect the freedom and sustainability of journalism.

RSF says that more media outlets are collapsing or compromising their editorial independence due to unstable revenue, rising production costs, and the dominance of digital platforms that take the bulk of advertising income. The shift has made it harder for journalism to stay independent and viable, even in countries where political interference is low.

It adds that Christophe Deloire, Secretary-General, RSF said the core threat to journalism today is not censorship, but the collapse of its business model. He noted that even in media environments without state control, journalists are struggling to work independently due to poor funding and the growing role of financial interests in editorial decisions.

RSF’s analysis shows that this pressure is present not just in low-income countries, but also in wealthy democracies.

It adds that the Index ranks countries based on five indicators, namely political context, legal framework, economic conditions, socio-cultural environment, and safety of journalists. This year’s results highlight a sharp global decline in the economic category.

According to report the findings point to major challenges in countries like Argentina, where inflation has forced major publications to reduce operations. In Tunisia, public media workers protested months-long salary delays. In Kenya, community radio stations and small publishers have shut down after the withdrawal of donor funding. Digital platforms continue to play a central role in this crisis.

RSF says that platforms like Google, Meta, and X (formerly Twitter) now dominate the flow of online news while collecting most of the advertising revenue. As a result, news publishers are left with little income to support original reporting. Many are turning to sponsored content or branded stories, which erode the distinction between journalism and public relations. This shift has also made audiences more skeptical of the media’s credibility.

It adds that the financial dependence on government advertising, media ownership concentration, and legal pressure on journalists have all contributed to the weakening of press freedom. Independent digital outlets in India face difficulties raising funds, while several have shut down or downsized due to a lack of resources.

The report adds that this economic fragility is often paired with political pressure, making it harder for newsrooms to operate without fear or bias.

It adds that even freelance journalists, who form a growing part of the global media workforce, are struggling. Many now work under short-term contracts without job security or legal protections. In several countries, layoffs and salary cuts have pushed reporters to take on multiple roles, often with no editorial support or fact-checking. This situation has led to a rise in burnout, self-censorship, and misinformation.

According to statement artificial intelligence is also reshaping how journalism is produced. RSF finds that many news organisations are using AI tools to replace basic reporting tasks, such as summarising press releases or generating headlines. While this may reduce costs, the report warns that over-reliance on AI could flood the media space with unverified or low-quality content. In some cases, it may also lead to further job cuts in already shrinking newsrooms.

Despite these challenges, RSF says that solutions are still possible. The organisation recommends structural reforms to ensure that journalism remains financially sustainable and editorially independent. It urges governments to create fair and transparent support mechanisms for independent media. It also suggests that digital platforms should be taxed or required to share revenue with content producers in order to restore balance in the media economy.

According to RSF, regulation of state advertising must also be addressed to prevent political influence over media coverage.

RSF warns that underfunded and understaffed media outlets may struggle to counter disinformation and hold powerful institutions accountable. In this environment, public trust in news continues to decline, creating space for propaganda and false narratives.

It adds that Northern European countries continue to lead the Index, with Norway ranked first for the eighth year in a row, followed by Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Finland. At the bottom are countries where the press faces violent repression, such as Eritrea, Afghanistan, North Korea and Syria. But RSF notes that this year’s data shows that press freedom is no longer a problem limited to authoritarian states. Even democracies are now facing serious threats due to financial instability and the unchecked power of digital platforms.

“Guaranteeing freedom, independence and plurality in today’s media landscape requires stable and transparent financial conditions. Without economic independence, there can be no free press. When news media are financially strained, they are drawn into a race to attract audiences at the expense of quality reporting, and can fall prey to the oligarchs and public authorities who seek to exploit them. When journalists are impoverished, they no longer have the means to resist the enemies of the press   those who champion disinformation and propaganda. The media economy must urgently be restored to a state that is conducive to journalism and ensures the production of reliable information, which is inherently costly. Solutions exist and must be deployed on a large scale. The media’s financial independence is a necessary condition for ensuring free, trustworthy information that serves the public interest,” says Anne Bocandé, Editorial Director, RSF.