Shock Report Claims US Press Freedom Now Ranks Alongside Ghana After Trump Defunds ‘Woke’ Media
Could America’s standing on global press freedom really be plummeting?
A controversial new report suggests just that, placing the United States surprisingly low on a global index.
A Watchdog Group Sounds the Alarm
The group behind the headlines is Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an organization known for its annual World Press Freedom Index.
Their latest release paints a picture they describe as an “alarming deterioration” under President Donald Trump’s second term.
RSF argues that certain government actions have contributed to this alleged decline, sparking debate about the state of media in the US.
Trump’s Battle Against ‘Fake News’
It’s no secret that President Trump has made challenging mainstream media narratives a cornerstone of his political identity.
He frequently accuses major news outlets of bias and spreading “fake news,” a sentiment that resonates strongly with his supporters.
Indeed, studies have shown overwhelmingly negative coverage of his administration. A report from the Media Research Center found that coverage from networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC was 92% negative during certain periods.
This adversarial relationship forms a key part of the context for the latest press freedom discussions.
Targeting ‘Radical, Woke Propaganda’
One major policy highlighted by Trump’s critics, and noted in the RSF report, involves public media funding.
President Trump signed an executive order aimed at slashing taxpayer funds flowing to organizations like National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
His reasoning? Cutting off what he described as outlets pushing:
‘RADICAL, WOKE PROPAGANDA’
This move was cheered by conservatives who argue these publicly funded bodies have long leaned left, abandoning neutrality for activism.
The RSF report also mentions the termination of federal funding for the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which supports international broadcasters.
Hostility and ‘News Deserts’
The RSF report makes further claims, alleging that an environment of “open disdain for the media” has taken root.
They point to increased risks faced by journalists, citing statistics from the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.
“According to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, there were 49 journalist arrests in 2024 compared to only 15 in 2023,” the report stated.
Critics of the mainstream media might counter that this hostility is often reciprocal, stemming from years of perceived unfair coverage against conservatives and Trump specifically.
The report also laments the decline of local news outlets, leading to “news deserts” across the country, though this is a complex issue with roots stretching back long before the current administration, tied heavily to changing economic models in the news industry.
The Shock Ranking Revealed
So, where does the US actually stand according to RSF’s controversial metrics?
The report assigned the United States an overall press freedom score of 65.49.
This score landed the US at **57th place** in the global ranking.
RSF dramatically highlighted this by comparing the US position to countries like Uruguay and Ghana, suggesting a significant slide attributed directly to the Trump administration’s policies, including challenging legacy media institutions and cutting funds to public broadcasters deemed partisan.
The group explicitly accused Trump of having “weaponized institutions, cut support for independent media, and sidelined reporters,” leading to this contentious ranking.
This latest report fuels the ongoing fiery debate over media bias, government funding, and exactly what constitutes ‘press freedom’ in a deeply polarized America.
