Thousands of Journalists Expected to Cover International Quds Day Rallies in Iran
March 11, 2026
Journalists Increasingly Face Trauma From Constant Exposure to Violent News
March 11, 2026
March 11, 2026 – USA –
Press freedom across the Americas experienced a “dramatic deterioration” in 2025, according to a new regional assessment that documents rising violence, arrests, and intimidation targeting journalists throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The findings were published by the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) in its annual Chapultepec Index, which evaluates freedom of expression conditions in 23 countries across the Americas, including the United States, Canada, and nations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
According to the report, the past year was among the most difficult for journalism in the region, marked by journalist killings, arbitrary arrests, and widespread impunity for crimes against media workers. The organization warned that such conditions represent a significant setback for democratic institutions and the protection of free expression.
The assessment classified Venezuela and Nicaragua as countries where freedom of speech is effectively absent. The report also identified Ecuador, Bolivia, Honduras, Peru, Mexico, Haiti, Cuba, and El Salvador as nations facing high restrictions on press freedom, where journalists frequently encounter intimidation, legal pressure, or violence.
Even countries traditionally considered democratic showed signs of declining media freedom. The report categorized the United States as a country with “restrictions” on freedom of speech, noting that 170 attacks against journalists were recorded in 2025, including incidents involving reporters covering immigration enforcement operations.
Violence against journalists also increased across parts of Latin America. According to data cited in the report, 13 journalists were killed in the region in 2025, nearly doubling the number recorded the previous year. Press freedom groups say such attacks, combined with persistent impunity for perpetrators, continue to endanger reporters investigating corruption, organized crime, or political abuses.
The report also highlighted severe conditions in Haiti, which was included in the index for the first time and ranked among the countries with the least press freedom in the Americas. Media workers there face threats from armed gangs that control large parts of the capital and have carried out intimidation campaigns against journalists.
Press freedom advocates say the findings demonstrate a worrying regional trend in which journalists face increasing threats from governments, criminal organizations, and political actors. The IAPA warned that reversing this decline will require stronger protections for journalists, more effective investigations into attacks on the press, and greater respect for freedom of expression across the Americas.
The organization concluded that safeguarding independent journalism remains essential for democratic governance, transparency, and public accountability throughout the region.
Reference –
