Moldova ranks 35th out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, dropping four positions compared to the previous year. According to the ranking compiled by Reporters Without Borders, Moldova is ahead of countries such as Romania (55th), the United States (57th), Ukraine (62nd), and Russia (171st), all of which have also experienced declines in the index.
The media landscape in Moldova is polarized between pro-Russian and pro-Western factions, but the control previously exerted by oligarchs and political leaders over editorial lines has decreased compared to previous years, the Reporters Without Borders report states.
Like the country itself, the media environment is polarized and influenced by Ilan Shor, a pro-Kremlin oligarch who fled into exile to avoid prosecution for corruption. The media empire built in recent years by companies linked to Shor has been weakened following the suspension of licenses for six TV channels. However, some of these media outlets have shifted their content online, through their websites and social media platforms, the report adds.
Ukraine, which is at war with Russia and where journalists have lost their lives in bombings or due to torture while in captivity, ranks 62nd. Engaged in both military and informational warfare, Ukraine is on the front line of resistance against the Kremlin’s expanding propaganda machine, the report notes.
Romania ranks 55th, down from 49th place last year.
Globally, for the first time, media experts have classified the state of press freedom as being in a “difficult situation.”
The report describes the United States as the “leader of economic depression,” with its economic indicator dropping by 14 places over two years. Overall, after a decline of 11 places in 2024, the United States dropped another two spots to 57th in the 2025 ranking and is now classified in the “problematic situation” category.
Norway remains at the top of the World Press Freedom Index for the ninth consecutive year, followed, as in previous years, by Estonia and the Netherlands.
World Press Freedom Day is marked annually on May 3rd, a date established by the UN General Assembly in 1993 upon UNESCO’s recommendation. The day aims to highlight the importance of a free and independent press in democratic societies and to raise awareness of the dangers and pressures journalists face worldwide.
Source: Radio Chișinău
