The Perils of Political Reporting Get Amplified in 2025

In its Press Freedom Index and Report 2025, Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) has pointed towards a clear decline in press freedom around the world. The report adds that journalists and media, in general, are facing a difficult economic upheaval as well as an increasingly hostile work environment. There is no doubt that the global press is under an attack from various sections but it is the political journalists who are facing the strongest heat because of the nature of their work. Even though only 4 months have passed since 2024 turned into 2025, journalists covering political controversies and issues are feeling threatened in terms of their personal safety, professional freedom and work integrity. Culprits include authoritarian regimes, economic constraints, legal mishaps, and the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Let’s take a look at how political journalists are being oppressed everywhere in the world.

Imprisonments, Frivolous Charges – Across the world, corrupt regimes, dictatorial authorities, political-mafia nexus is suppressing independent journalism. The journalists are subjected to arbitrary arrests and imprisonment over frivolous charges. For instance, Myanmar journalist Shin Daewe was imprisoned for possessing a drone. Vietnam’s Pham Doan Trang got convicted for “spreading anti-state propaganda.” In the Philippines, Frenchie Mae Cumpio is facing terrorism-related charges. It can’t be a coincidence that these journalists were exposing governmental corruption and advocating democratic values when they were slapped with these cases.

Erosion of Protection from Legal Threats – Democratic nations are eroding legal frameworks that, once, protected journalists doing their job. A journalist’s source is sacrosanct, right? Well, not anymore in the US, where the Trump administration, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, withdrew protections that ensured that the Dept. of Justice couldn’t seize journalists’ records. This policy shift will allow authorities to force reporters to testify against their sources. Time to say goodbye to confidentiality, an essential element of investigative journalism.

Physical Threat - After corrupt govts and incompetent legal framework, political journalists, especially those reporting from conflict zones, are increasingly put in the harm’s way, owing to their work life. In 2024, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported the highest number of journalists being killed in more than three decades, most of these deaths occurring in conflict zones like Gaza. The brunt is mostly borne by the local journalists who are right in the thick of things and face the risk to their lives from both state as well as non-state actors.

Digital Threat - With the advent of Digital Surveillance, harassment of journalists has become online and more prolific. Coordinated online attacks are aimed at discrediting journalists reporting on hot political topics. A clear-cut case of intimidating them into giving up their pursuit. Digital surveillance has created a repressive atmosphere for political journalists to work in and it is compromising the quality of their work life.

The Press Freedom Index and Report of 2025 has brought into limelight the harsh truth about political reporting in this day and age. Journalists’ lives are fraught with challenges that endanger their professional integrity and, in return, the freedom of the press. Addressing these concerns is the job of governments, international regulatory organizations, and the civil society.

As per the RSF report, global press freedom finds itself in a “difficult situation”, following years of decline. Sounding a bull-horn, RSF Editorial Director Anne Bocondé says, “The media economy must urgently be restored to a state that is conducive to journalism and ensures the production of reliable information, which is inherently costly.” Let’s hope that things improve soon and journalists, particularly political journalists, are free to speak truth to the power.

(The writer is a seasoned Banker and Mortgage Specialist working for India’s largest loan distributor company and occasional political commentator.)