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Press freedom at its lowest level in 25 years. This is according to a report from the organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF). It has its annual World Press Freedom Index, which the degree to which the media in 180 countries free to operate. RSF press freedom was "problematic" or worse in three quarters of the nations . In over half of the world, conditions "difficult" to "very serious". In 2013, fewer than a third of countries were this classification. Press freedom was "problematic" in over 70 per cent of countries. The RSF said conditions were "good" in only seven countries. These all in northern and western Europe.

The RSF report growing authoritarian pressure on journalists. It : "Political pressure on the press is , authoritarian tendencies are , and the media market is heavily ....The Index's analysis highlights an alarming deterioration in the conditions for journalism in many parts of the world." The Index a worrying trend across the globe. It says there was a "systematic policy" of attacks on journalists in the USA. It said that in Russia, "laws to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism" were used to " press freedom". RSF said "67 media professionals in the past year victims of war or criminal networks".