Trinidad and Tobago has emerged as the highest-ranked Caribbean country on the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), climbing to 19th place globally with a score of 79.71.
The country improved from 25th in 2024, continuing its track record of relatively strong press freedom, although RSF notes that “there is still room for improvement.”
The World Press Freedom Index is RSF’s annual assessment of the state of journalism in 180 countries and territories. It evaluates media independence, journalist safety, legislative frameworks, and the economic conditions that influence press freedom.
Jamaica, often seen as a press freedom leader in the region, saw a slight dip in its ranking, falling to 26th from 24th last year. While freedom of the press has improved over the past two decades, RSF flagged a “growing gulf of distrust between government officials and the media” that is weakening institutional respect for journalistic work. Jamaica scored 75.83 in 2025, down from 77.3 the year before.
Haiti, meanwhile, recorded one of the sharpest declines in the Caribbean, dropping to 111th place from 93rd in 2024. With a score of 51.06, Haitian journalists face extreme conditions. “They suffer from a cruel lack of financial resources, an absence of institutional support and difficulty accessing information,” the RSF report states. Many are targeted by gangs and face threats, attacks, kidnappings, and even murder — all carried out with near-total impunity.
The 2025 edition reveals that economic instability has become one of the most insidious threats to journalism worldwide. According to data collected by RSF, in 160 out of the 180 countries assessed, media outlets achieve financial stability “with difficulty” — or “not at all.” This marks the first time in the Index’s history that the overall global situation has been downgraded to “difficult.”
“Guaranteeing freedom, independence, and plurality in today’s media landscape requires stable and transparent financial conditions,” said Anne Bocandé, RSF’s editorial director. “Without economic independence, there can be no free press. When journalists are impoverished, they no longer have the means to resist the enemies of the press — those who champion disinformation and propaganda.”
RSF attributes this decline to growing ownership concentration, pressure from advertisers and financial backers, and opaque or nonexistent public funding for independent media. As a result, outlets are increasingly forced to prioritize click-driven content over quality journalism to survive.
Globally, Norway remains the top-ranked country with a score of 92.31, while Eritrea sits at the bottom of the list with 11.32. In the United States, press freedom continues to erode. The country now ranks 57th, down from 55th last year, with RSF citing Donald Trump’s return to the presidency as a key factor exacerbating the decline.
As RSF concludes, ensuring a free and independent press — especially in regions vulnerable to economic and political pressure — will require urgent and large-scale efforts to restore financial stability in the media sector.
