A new report has expressed alarm at what it describes as backsliding press freedoms across the Americas, with the United States seeing the steepest decline.
The Inter American Press Association released its latest press freedom index on Tuesday, ranking last year as the lowest point for freedom of expression since the report began in 2020.
Researchers found that the Americas have experienced a “dramatic deterioration” in unrestricted speech, according to the report.
“This is one of the worst years for journalism in the region, marked by murders, arbitrary arrests, exile, and rampant impunity in countries such as Mexico, Honduras, Ecuador, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Cuba, and Venezuela,” the report said.
The U.S., however, was singled out as an area of “alarming decline”. In a ranking of 23 countries across the hemisphere, the U.S. dropped from fourth place to 11th, indicating that journalists operate with increased restrictions.
In total, the report tallied 170 attacks against journalists in the U.S. last year, and it cited interactions with federal immigration agents as an area of concern.
Read more here.
Press Freedom Declines in Americas, with U.S. Seeing Sharpest Drop: Report
03/11/2026
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