In 2024, the United States ranked 55th in the RSF rankings. World press freedom rankingslosing 10 places compared to the previous year. RSF’s new report “Press Freedom in Swing States: The Climate for American Journalism As the 2024 Elections Approach” examines the press freedom climate in four swing states as the 2024 elections approach. 2024 presidential election. The report examines the situation in Arizona, Florida, Nevada and Pennsylvania in five categories – political, legal, sociocultural, economic and security – using a survey by journalists and experts media in every state.

According to the report, in these four states:

• Survey respondents were nearly unanimous (94%) in their assessment that public officials delay or ignore requests for public records.
• 66% of journalists and media experts agree that it is “hard to make a living as a journalist.”
• 75% of those surveyed believe that “the average media outlet is struggling for economic viability.”

The full report is available for download below.

“The RSF report shows that journalists and media experts in swing states are very concerned about their sector as the 2024 elections approach: economic concerns, increasingly virulent political attacks, obstruction of public authorities, etc. There can be no democracy without freedom of the press. It is therefore extremely important to understand the problems facing the media in the most crucial places in the US presidential elections. RSF hopes that this report will be a starting point for all Americans to demand improvements in their states’ media ecosystems: more transparency, better access to information and a market that allows journalism to thrive. »

Clayton Weimers

Executive Director, RSF USA

The RSF report also reveals that:

• Nevada received the highest marks across the board.
• Arizona has the worst political score of the four states analyzed, a reflection of anti-media hostility from local politicians.
• Florida’s status as a vast news desert directly impacts the state’s press freedom climate, with more than 300,000 Floridians lacking a local news source. The state also does not have a press shield law and its anti-SLAPP law is very vague, putting journalists at risk.
• Pennsylvania media outlets are struggling economically and journalists are unable to make a living. They also face strong hostility from the public and elected officials.

RSF’s recommendations

This report reveals a certain number of deficiencies which hamper press freedom in these four states. Some of these issues can be resolved through policy reforms. Lawmakers in all four states should commit to strengthening media access to public records by ensuring adequate funding and staffing levels in offices responsible for responding to public records requests; establish simple and consistent processes with clearly articulated deadlines; improve the training of officials responsible for processing and responding to these requests – including specific training in working with journalists and the media; and set an example at the political level to encourage a culture of transparency.

The deterioration of the economic conditions of information is another dominant concern in this report. The spread of media deserts is deeply problematic for every state’s democratic capacity – and not just the swing states studied here. Many states are experimenting with new policies and funding models for local journalism. No model will offer a universal solution. Instead, state legislatures must find ways to innovate new models, such as increased state funding, tax cuts on news subscriptions, and policies that ensure social media companies pay fairly news media for the use of their content.

The report’s findings further underscore the need for U.S. political leaders to do more to strengthen press freedom. the RSF 10-point plan for press freedom identifies ways in which the next presidential administration could improve press freedom and restore America’s place as a global leader in this area, and urged both presidential candidates to implement this policy once elected.