RSF warns of declining press freedom in the U.S. under Trump: Video
Press freedom in the United States is in decline, warns Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in its latest World Press Freedom Index, citing the return of Donald Trump to power as a key factor behind the country’s slide in global rankings.
The U.S. has dropped two places, now ranking 57th out of 180 countries, falling behind Sierra Leone, the AFP reports.
“The United States is ranked 57th in the World Press Freedom Index, a decline for a country that has historically offered strong constitutional guarantees for press freedom and the work of journalists,” said Thibaut Bruttin, Director General of RSF. “Trump is acting across all these areas, perhaps in an attempt to implement a societal model with extensive freedom of expression but limited press freedom.”
RSF highlights what it sees as a deliberate dismantling of media-support mechanisms. Bruttin pointed to Trump’s decision to defund USAID, the U.S. development agency that has historically played a crucial role in supporting independent media in fragile democracies and conflict zones.
“USAID is now on the verge of disappearing,” Bruttin said. “It financed countless media outlets in countries where press freedom is already under threat. The implications of its loss are global.”
The report also raises alarm over the fate of USAGM, the agency that oversees America’s external broadcasting arms, including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia. With an annual budget of $800 million, USAGM plays a critical role in delivering independent news to populations in autocratic or crisis-stricken regions, surpassing even the budgets of the BBC World Service, France Médias Monde, and Deutsche Welle.
