Reporters Without Borders has accused President Trump of driving a decline in U.S. press freedom, citing hostility toward the media and cuts to federal support. The report sparked debate over who defines “press freedom” in an era of exploding alternative media.
Key Facts:
- Reporters Without Borders lowered the U.S. press freedom ranking to 57, citing an “authoritarian shift” under President Trump.
- The report criticizes Trump for cutting media funding and showing hostility toward traditional outlets.
- Media Research Center data found that 92% of Trump coverage from major networks has been negative.
- Reporters Without Borders linked Trump’s actions to increased risks of harassment and assault for journalists.
- Journalist arrests reportedly rose to 49 in 2024, up from 15 in 2023, according to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.
The Rest of The Story:
Reporters Without Borders released a report accusing President Trump of degrading press freedom in the United States during his second term.
The group claims the administration has taken a sharp authoritarian turn, citing Trump’s combative stance against traditional media, reduced federal support for media initiatives, and an allegedly hostile climate for reporters.
According to the report, the U.S. now ranks 57th globally in press freedom—on par with Uruguay and Ghana.
Specific complaints include the termination of federal funding for the U.S. Agency for Global Media and what the group describes as “weaponization” of government institutions.
The organization also tied a reported increase in journalist arrests to Trump’s rhetoric and policies.
“Press freedom in the United States has hit a record low, according to the latest World Press Freedom Index published annually by Reporters Without Borders.”https://t.co/nM6Bqv16x2
— Barth Keck (@keckb33) May 2, 2025
Commentary:
This report from Reporters Without Borders reads more like a political broadside than a neutral press analysis.
The claim that Trump is causing an “authoritarian shift” ignores the basic fact that he was duly elected, is abiding by court rulings, and is running against a hostile media environment that has never accepted his legitimacy.
If anything, the 92% negative coverage cited by the Media Research Center proves how slanted much of the corporate media has become.
Calling Trump’s defunding of certain media initiatives a threat to freedom is backward logic.
Government support of media is not a prerequisite for press freedom—in fact, too much government involvement often leads to propaganda.
Independent journalism doesn’t need federal funding to thrive; it needs a free market of ideas and access to audiences.
America today has more citizen journalists, independent news platforms, podcasts, and social media reporters than ever before.
This explosion of alternative voices has disrupted the old media monopoly—and that seems to be what this report really mourns: the loss of narrative control by legacy outlets.
The so-called rise in arrests should also be taken in context.
Are these arrests due to legitimate law enforcement actions during protests or actual suppression of free speech?
The report doesn’t say.
It just implies correlation equals causation—without proof.
Suggesting that negative public sentiment toward journalists is Trump’s doing ignores the media’s own credibility crisis.
Trust in legacy media has collapsed not because of Trump, but because of years of bias, selective coverage, and outright misinformation.
The Bottom Line:
Reporters Without Borders has downgraded America’s press freedom rating under President Trump, blaming him for hostility toward journalists and declining government support for media.
But the facts suggest a much broader transformation: a shift away from centralized media toward a vibrant, decentralized landscape of independent voices.
What some call “authoritarian” may simply be the end of elite media control.
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