World Press Freedom Day 2026: RSF report says press freedom at its lowest in 25 years

Every year, the United Nations marks 3 May as World Press Freedom Day. This year comes at a particularly dark moment for journalists. According to a new report published today by Reporters Without Borders, global press freedom has fallen to its lowest level in 25 years. Last year, UNESCO said the decline was comparable to that seen during the most unstable periods of the twentieth century — the two world wars and the Cold War. Over the past three years, journalists have increasingly become direct targets in conflict zones rather than simply witnesses to events, and nowhere has that been more evident than in Gaza. It is also a reminder that freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, as set out in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. President of the Palestianian journalists syndicate, Nasser Abu Bakr, shares further insights.