n the eve of UN World Press Freedom Day, Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) released its annual World Press Freedom Index. The report, for the first time in its history, classified the global state of media freedom as a “difficult situation.” The main threat to media freedom has also evolved, according to the report. In previous years political and technological threats were foci of the report. This year’s report highlights the growing threat to media freedom from economic pressures, identifying these pressures as the greatest danger to the editorial independence of news outlets. RSF identifies the increasing concentration of media ownership, pressure from state–backed advertisers and financial backers, and restrictions on public funding as existential threats to global free media. This type of threat is often difficult to spot as commercial and political agendas fluctuate.
As America' s press freedom wanes, an opportunity for Europe?
Among the RSF report’s most frightening revelations is the continued decline of the freedom of the press in the United States, once the world’s bastion of pluralism and free speech. The U.S. now ranks 57th out of 180 countries on press freedom—its lowest ever ranking—and according to RSF is now “the leader of the economic depression” in news media, topping the list of countries whose news outlets are shutting down due to economic hardship.
After enjoying decades of a pride of place in American foreign policy, the Trump administration has cut U.S. federal funding for free media initiatives across the globe, endangering long–running media institutions like the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The gutting of USAID has halted funding for hundreds of independent news outlets in developing economies around the world, threatening many with possible shut downs.
America’s abrupt departure leaves a vacuum that must be filled if the world’s liberal democracies have any hope of withstanding the myriad of threats they face from autocratic states. The European Union, with its economic strength and strong democratic foundations, should be a prime candidate to step into this void. Yet despite landmark legislation introduced last year to protect media freedom, the bloc continues to struggle to enforce its values across all its member states.
Europe’s struggles with media freedom
But whilst U.S. encroachment on the free press has been well documented, in Europe more subtle takeovers are slipping under the radar.
Spain’s left–wing Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, appears to be mounting a takeover of the press even as the RSF report was released. The media landscape in Spain echoes many of the concerns highlighted by RSF in their 2025 report.
Over the past year, Sánchez and his government have pursued increasing state control over media outlets.Sánchez has already increased his control of Spanish public broadcasters, causing consternation from media freedom watchdogs. This mirrors recent moves from another European leader, Georgia Meloni, who was faced with a strike from journalists at the state broadcaster, RIA last year after creating, what the journalist union described as “suffocating control” of the organization.
Earlier this year, the Spanish government effectively took over Telefónica, Spain’s largest telecoms business. Whilst not a broadcaster, Telefónica has significant control over the audiovisual landscape in Spain through advertising and access to its infrastructure. Now, the editorial independence of El País, Spain’s most widely read newspaper, is at stake. The news outlet is owned by the PRISA Group, whose annual shareholder meeting will take place on May 14th—and at which a government–aligned coalition of shareholders will attempt to oust the current Chairman of the group, Joseph Oughourlian, over his refusal to launch a pro-government TV station last year.
If successful at the PRISA AGM next week, Sánchez will have gained influence over three of the most important organs of Spain’s information landscape. Such behavior has long been common at the fringes of Europe, in countries such as Hungary.
The situations in France and Germany are also problematic. The report states, for Germany, that there is a growing public perception that German public broadcasting—for which media freedom is protected by law—that politics are influencing broadcast decisions. As for France it clearly puts that “the tools designed to combat conflicts of interest and protect the confidentiality of sources are insufficient, inadequate, and outdated. The concentration of private media groups in the hands of a few businessmen is becoming a major concern in the country.” Both commercial and political lobbying of the media are also becoming more frequent in France.
Where is the EU?
For years, the European Commission has waged a well–intentioned, often toothless battle to bring euroskeptics like Hungary’s Victor Orbán into line with European values. States including Spain, France, and Germany—who hold significant influence in Brussels—are expected to uphold these values without failure. If they do not, the “soft power” of Brussels to curtail less democratic leaders is diminished even further. The increasingly dire situation in Hungary is an example of the danger posed by a too little, too late approach on enforcing media freedom rules.
As the number of European countries with diminishing media freedom grows, Europe’s ability to fill the void left by the disappearance of U.S. leadership on media freedom on the global stage will also erode.
If we are to reverse the frightening trend of declining media freedom around the world, the cause of media freedom, now abandoned by the U.S., must find a champion elsewhere. It however looks unsure this champion can be Europe.
a global affairs media network
Europe must become the champion of global media freedom
Image via Pixabay.
May 12, 2025
World press freedom is under threat. With the U.S. no longer championing free media in the way it once did, Europe must take up the mantle—but could struggle to do so.
O
n the eve of UN World Press Freedom Day, Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) released its annual World Press Freedom Index. The report, for the first time in its history, classified the global state of media freedom as a “difficult situation.” The main threat to media freedom has also evolved, according to the report. In previous years political and technological threats were foci of the report. This year’s report highlights the growing threat to media freedom from economic pressures, identifying these pressures as the greatest danger to the editorial independence of news outlets. RSF identifies the increasing concentration of media ownership, pressure from state–backed advertisers and financial backers, and restrictions on public funding as existential threats to global free media. This type of threat is often difficult to spot as commercial and political agendas fluctuate.
As America' s press freedom wanes, an opportunity for Europe?
Among the RSF report’s most frightening revelations is the continued decline of the freedom of the press in the United States, once the world’s bastion of pluralism and free speech. The U.S. now ranks 57th out of 180 countries on press freedom—its lowest ever ranking—and according to RSF is now “the leader of the economic depression” in news media, topping the list of countries whose news outlets are shutting down due to economic hardship.
After enjoying decades of a pride of place in American foreign policy, the Trump administration has cut U.S. federal funding for free media initiatives across the globe, endangering long–running media institutions like the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The gutting of USAID has halted funding for hundreds of independent news outlets in developing economies around the world, threatening many with possible shut downs.
America’s abrupt departure leaves a vacuum that must be filled if the world’s liberal democracies have any hope of withstanding the myriad of threats they face from autocratic states. The European Union, with its economic strength and strong democratic foundations, should be a prime candidate to step into this void. Yet despite landmark legislation introduced last year to protect media freedom, the bloc continues to struggle to enforce its values across all its member states.
Europe’s struggles with media freedom
But whilst U.S. encroachment on the free press has been well documented, in Europe more subtle takeovers are slipping under the radar.
Spain’s left–wing Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, appears to be mounting a takeover of the press even as the RSF report was released. The media landscape in Spain echoes many of the concerns highlighted by RSF in their 2025 report.
Over the past year, Sánchez and his government have pursued increasing state control over media outlets.Sánchez has already increased his control of Spanish public broadcasters, causing consternation from media freedom watchdogs. This mirrors recent moves from another European leader, Georgia Meloni, who was faced with a strike from journalists at the state broadcaster, RIA last year after creating, what the journalist union described as “suffocating control” of the organization.
Earlier this year, the Spanish government effectively took over Telefónica, Spain’s largest telecoms business. Whilst not a broadcaster, Telefónica has significant control over the audiovisual landscape in Spain through advertising and access to its infrastructure. Now, the editorial independence of El País, Spain’s most widely read newspaper, is at stake. The news outlet is owned by the PRISA Group, whose annual shareholder meeting will take place on May 14th—and at which a government–aligned coalition of shareholders will attempt to oust the current Chairman of the group, Joseph Oughourlian, over his refusal to launch a pro-government TV station last year.
If successful at the PRISA AGM next week, Sánchez will have gained influence over three of the most important organs of Spain’s information landscape. Such behavior has long been common at the fringes of Europe, in countries such as Hungary.
The situations in France and Germany are also problematic. The report states, for Germany, that there is a growing public perception that German public broadcasting—for which media freedom is protected by law—that politics are influencing broadcast decisions. As for France it clearly puts that “the tools designed to combat conflicts of interest and protect the confidentiality of sources are insufficient, inadequate, and outdated. The concentration of private media groups in the hands of a few businessmen is becoming a major concern in the country.” Both commercial and political lobbying of the media are also becoming more frequent in France.
Where is the EU?
For years, the European Commission has waged a well–intentioned, often toothless battle to bring euroskeptics like Hungary’s Victor Orbán into line with European values. States including Spain, France, and Germany—who hold significant influence in Brussels—are expected to uphold these values without failure. If they do not, the “soft power” of Brussels to curtail less democratic leaders is diminished even further. The increasingly dire situation in Hungary is an example of the danger posed by a too little, too late approach on enforcing media freedom rules.
As the number of European countries with diminishing media freedom grows, Europe’s ability to fill the void left by the disappearance of U.S. leadership on media freedom on the global stage will also erode.
If we are to reverse the frightening trend of declining media freedom around the world, the cause of media freedom, now abandoned by the U.S., must find a champion elsewhere. It however looks unsure this champion can be Europe.
