Ahead of the World Press Freedom Day, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released its annual World Press Freedom Index, revealing a sharp decline for Kosovo and continued challenges for Serbia. Kosovo has dropped 24 places to 99th—its worst ranking ever—making it the lowest-ranked country in the region. Serbia, meanwhile, saw a modest improvement, moving up two spots to 96th.
While the Kosovo media market is described as diverse, RSF highlights several systemic threats: „Media freedom is threatened by politicised regulation, gag suits, insufficient access to public information and serious risks for the safety of journalists.
The decline is especially striking given that Kosovo was ranked 75th last year—after already falling 19 places from 2023 (56th place)—and 61st in 2022.
Serbia, now three places ahead of Kosovo, remains in RSF’s fourth tier of press freedom rankings. The organization notes that, while quality journalism does exist in Serbia, it is increasingly caught between „rampant fake news and propaganda.“
„Despite a solid legal framework, journalists are subjected to political pressures and crimes committed against them go unpunished,“ RSF wrote in its assessment of Serbia.
„Although Serbia has formally advanced by two positions on the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, now ranking 96th out of 180 countries, Pavol Szalai, the EU and Balkans representative for Reporters Without Borders (RSF), described this as ‘illusory progress,’ noting that the country’s overall press freedom score has actually declined.“
The report describes the situation in both Kosovo and Serbia as “difficult.”
Wider Regional Landscape
Within the Western Balkans, other countries fared better. Slovenia is ranked 33rd, followed by Montenegro (37th), Croatia (60th), Albania (80th), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (86th).
Globally, RSF warns that media freedom is facing unprecedented challenges. The 2025 report marks the lowest global average score in the index’s history, with the organization highlighting economic pressure as a growing and insidious problem.
“Economic Fragility A Leading Threat To Press Freedom”
“Although physical attacks against journalists are the most visible violations of press freedom, economic pressure is also a major, more insidious problem,” said RSF editor-in-chief Anne Bocandé.
The report points to increasing concentration of media ownership, pressure from advertisers and financial backers, and a lack of stable public aid as primary threats to the sustainability of independent journalism. RSF states that the economic indicator in this year’s index has reached a historic low.
“When news media are financially strained, they are drawn into a race to attract audiences at the expense of quality reporting,” Bocandé warned. “And can fall prey to the oligarchs and public authorities who seek to exploit them. When journalists are impoverished, they no longer have the means to resist the enemies of the press – propaganda and disinformation.”
RSF called for urgent reforms to protect the financial independence of media, emphasizing that reliable public information is essential to democracy.
Balkan and Central Asian Media at Breaking Point
Independent media across Europe and Central Asia are struggling with a severe financial crisis, exacerbated by geopolitical tensions, the withdrawal of U.S. funding, and the rising influence of Russian propaganda, the report finds.
Budget cuts under the Trump administration, including reduced support for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and USAID, have further weakened already vulnerable media systems—particularly in authoritarian and conflict-affected states.
In Ukraine, where access to trustworthy information remains vital amid ongoing Russian aggression, about 90% of newsrooms relied on foreign funding, mostly from the U.S. Its abrupt withdrawal now jeopardizes war crimes coverage and anti-corruption reporting, while Russian state media continue to operate with ample resources.
Exiled media from Russia and Belarus have also been forced into mass layoffs due to lost funding and ad revenue. Elsewhere, governments like those in Georgia and Azerbaijan are using “foreign influence” laws and restrictive ad markets to stifle independent journalism.
A Grim Outlook for the Western Balkans
The situation in the Western Balkans remains troubling. In both Serbia and Kosovo, public broadcasters are under intense political pressure and face persistent financial instability. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, journalists also contend with opaque funding structures and political interference.
Economic collapse is being matched by the alarming political instrumentalization of the media, RSF warns. The normalization of impunity for attacks on journalists and attempts to co-opt them into state messaging represent growing dangers.
While some EU countries, such as Poland and Estonia, show signs of recovery, the broader Balkan region remains deeply vulnerable. RSF notes that crucial reforms—like the long-delayed European Media Freedom Act (EMFA)—have yet to be fully implemented.
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