Press freedoms worldwide have plummeted to their lowest point in 50 years, according to a new report by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). The biggest declines occurred in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, and Myanmar, all already struggling with limited media rights. South Korea saw the fourth-largest drop, linked to increased government-led defamation cases and raids on journalists’ homes. IDEA’s secretary general, Kevin Casas-Zamora, described the global state of democracy as “concerning,” highlighting the urgent need to protect free press as a cornerstone of democratic societies.
