Ahead of World Press Freedom Day, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has ranked Iran 176th out of 180 countries in its 2025 World Press Freedom Index.
The report labels Iran as one of the most repressive countries for media activity, emphasizing that journalists are forced into self-censorship. It states that critical voices are heavily suppressed, and the media landscape lacks diversity. In this ranking, only Syria, China, North Korea, and Eritrea rank lower than Iran. Afghanistan, ranked 175th, shows similarly dire conditions. RSF notes that under Taliban control, press freedom and the safety of journalists, especially women have deteriorated significantly.
In the report, states that only one-quarter of countries offer favorable conditions for journalistic work, while over half of the global population lives in nations where press freedom is described as “serious” or “problematic.”
RSF also warns that in 118 countries, political actors are actively undermining public trust in the media through misinformation and fake content. The rise of AI-based technologies has further blurred the line between truth and falsehood.
Norway tops the index for the ninth consecutive year, while the United States has dropped to its lowest-ever ranking at 57th, a decline RSF attributes to political attacks on the press and media ownership concentration, especially during the Trump era.
The United Nations has designated May 3rd as World Press Freedom Day, a day to defend the independence of media and honor those who have lost their lives in the field.
