Press freedom in Italy has worsened over the last year: globally, we have in fact gone from 46th position, with a ranking of 69.8 out of 100, to 49th position and a score of 68.01 according to the 2025 ranking drawn up by the NGO Reporters Without Borders. The problem is tangible, especially after an attack on the host of Reports Sigfrido Ranucci has shocked public opinion. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pointed out that from 2022 to today, Italy has recovered 8 positions in the ranking, which is true but in reality the ranking has actually decreased slightly in the last three years (in 2022 it was equal to 68.16): our position at a global level has improved only because other states have done worse than us.
In reality, the data emerging from the official reports are not positive: as reported by the Italian National Press Federation (which cites the 2025 index of Reporters Without Borders), we are the last country in Western Europe in terms of press freedom. In the world ranking, Norway confirms itself in first place again with a score of 92.31 out of 100, while Eritrea closes the ranking, with a further deterioration compared to last year and a score of 11.32.
In our country this freedom, which includes all information channels, from newspapers to the web, from radio to television, is also recognized by the Italian Constitution, which in article 21 establishes “the freedom to freely express one’s thoughts through speech, writing and any other means of dissemination”.
The situation in Italy in 2025
Every year, the NGO Reporters Without Borders evaluates press freedom (defined as the possibility for journalists to inform freely, without pressure or risk to their safety) in 180 countries around the world based on certain criteria, including the political, economic and socio-cultural context, the legal framework and general security.
It must be said, however, that the annual index (which always refers to the previous year) is also based on a subjective criterion, i.e. on the perception of the journalists themselves regarding the state of health of press freedom in their country. Once all the data has been collected, a final score is calculated from 1 to 100, where 1 indicates the maximum freedom of the press and 100 indicates the maximum level of censorship and control of information.
Apparently, as stated by Meloni, Italy has moved up the rankings, moving from 58th position to 49th in the last three years. In reality, taking a closer look at the data, the situation has not changed that much, given that our overall score has remained almost unchanged: we went from 68.16 in 2022 to 68.01 in 2025.
Among other things, between 2023 and 2025 we even recorded a progressive worsening: if in 2023 we occupied the 41st position, in 2024 we dropped to 46th, and then reached the 49th place, the current one. In practice, therefore, we position ourselves behind countries such as Samoa, Tonga or Belize.
The practical translation of these data is, unfortunately, negative: we are the worst country in Western Europe in terms of press freedom. And not by little: Portugal, in eighth place, is among the best in the world together with Switzerland (9th), Germany occupies 11th, Belgium 18th, while the United Kingdom, Spain and France are positioned in 20th, 23rd and 25th respectively.
In reality, if we were to look at the episodes that have occurred in recent months, the Italian result should not be too surprising: from the journalists spied on through the Israeli spyware Paragon, up to the mafia-style threats addressed to the journalist Fanpage Giorgia Venturini and the very recent attack on RAI journalist Sigfrido Ranucci, in our country the press is increasingly under scrutiny and this can lead to forms of self-censorship.
In its assessment of our country, Reporters Without Borders then referred to the so-called “Gag Law”, which prohibits the press from publishing precautionary custody orders until the conclusion of preliminary investigations: according to opponents, this legislation would limit citizens’ right to be informed, while those who support it underline that the objective is to protect the presumption of innocence of those under investigation.
Freedom of the press in the world in 2025
In 2025, the first country in the world for press freedom is again Norway, with an overall score of 92.31, followed by Estonia (89.46), the Netherlands (88.64) and Sweden (88.13). In general, all of Northern Europe enjoys a good level of press freedom, while the rest of the continent ranks mid-table, with the exception of Turkey (159th place), Belarus (166th) and Russia (171st).
America and Africa, however, present a heterogeneous situation: in the first case, countries such as Canada (21st place) contrast with others such as Venezuela (160th), in the second, South Africa (27th) and Namibia (28th) are positioned even better than Italy and contrast with countries such as Egypt (170th) and Uganda (156th).
Also for 2025, Eritrea remains last in the ranking for press freedom, with an overall score of 11.32 and a worsening compared to the previous year (16.64).
