United States: press freedom index 2013-2024

In 2024, the United States had a press freedom index score of 66.59 points, down from over 71 a year earlier. According to this global ranking, the greater the index score, the better the situation regarding press freedom in a given country. Despite a decrease in press freedom violations compared to in 2020, the index score in the United States was the worst on record in 2024 compared to previous years in the timeline.

Why is press freedom in the U.S on the decline?

Despite limited government intervention or interference in the way journalism is carried out in the United States, concentration of ownership in the country’s news landscape is a problem, as well as the gradual but consistent disappearance of local news outlets. Former president Trump’s influence was also a factor, with concerns and accusations about “fake news” higher than ever. Distrust is also a major issue, along with waves of lay-offs from 2023 to 2024 which meant job losses for thousands of journalists and newsroom employees.

Falling trust in news

Globally, more than half of journalists believe that the public has lost trust in the media over the last year. Unfortunately, this suspicion is not far from the truth. Only 24 percent of U.S. respondents to a global survey considered journalists to be trustworthy. Further, almost 40 percent of U.S. adults have no trust at all in the mass media to report the news accurately and fairly, close to double the share who felt the same way a decade earlier.