US falls below Ukraine in press freedom as global autocracy takes hold

A new press freedom index from Reporters Without Borders places the United States at 55th globally, trailing Ukraine at 54th, as democratic backsliding and media consolidation erode journalism’s safeguards. The U.S. dropped 12 spots since 2020, scoring 72.3 out of 100 — 2.7 points lower than the average of the top 10 most populous democracies. This decline surpasses #9’s political appointment risk; it exceeds the 15% average score drop seen among G7 nations, driven by a 40% rise in local news deserts since 2004. Over 2,500 U.S. newspapers have closed, reducing accountability reporting by 30% compared to a decade ago.