Glossary
Press freedom
The right of journalists to publish information — and gather it from sources — without government censorship or retaliation.
Press freedom in 2026 is measured by organizations like Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Freedom House. Top-ranked countries: Norway, Denmark, Netherlands. Bottom-ranked: North Korea, Eritrea, Turkmenistan. The US has slipped significantly over the last decade — from the high 20s to the mid-50s — driven by physical attacks on reporters, restrictive subpoena practices, and a shrinking shield-law landscape. Major threats globally: imprisonment of journalists, surveillance of reporter communications, SLAPP lawsuits, and platform-level deplatforming. See also: chilling effect, SLAPP.
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