Haiti Named Among the Worst Countries Globally For Press Freedom

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti – Haiti has emerged as one of the worst countries in the world with regards to press freedom, Reporters San Frontiers (RSF) reported on Friday.

Journalist Roger Claudy Israel abducted by gangs as terror reigns in HaitiIn its World Press Freedom Index 2025, RSF said the situation in Haiti,  which had a ranking of 111 from the 180 countries assessed, was due to the state’s collapse and gang violence which “have turned journalism into a life-threatening profession.

“Haiti’s journalists suffer from a cruel lack of financial resources, an absence of institutional support and difficulty accessing information. Caught between a wave of widespread violence and the social, economic and political crisis, they are targeted by gangs and are often victims of threats, attacks, kidnapping and murder — crimes met with complete impunity,”  RSF said in its report on the media in the Americas.

It said that radio is the most widely followed mass medium. The country has more than 700 radio and TV stations, but only half operate legally with a licence from Conatel, the agency that regulates communications. Haiti’s national radio and TV broadcaster, RTNH, is the primary state media outlet.

According to RSF, Haiti has been embroiled in a profound political and social crisis for decades and that since Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s resignation in March 2024, a transitional Presidential Council has been established to restore order and organise elections.

“However, internal divisions have emerged. Gang violence has intensified, with gangs controlling up to 85 per cent of Port au Prince and expanding their attacks beyond the capital and that the situation has worsened the humanitarian crisis, displacing more than 700,000 people and leaving nearly half the population facing food insecurity.

International efforts, including a multinational mission led by Kenya, have been deployed to support the Haitian police, but challenges persist due to the complexity of the crisis and internal political tensions.

“In this context, the rule of law has been severely weakened, and press freedom remains under constant threat. Journalists carry out their work in an environment of extreme insecurity, with no guarantees of protection or justice in the face of the violence they endure,”  RSF said.

It said that the Haitian Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, but in practice, journalists face many obstacles.

“Even when journalists report credible death threats to the authorities, little is ever done aside from filing a complaint, and media professionals do not benefit from any protective measures.”

RSF said that Haiti has been one of the poorest countries in the Americas for nearly a century. Its economy, essentially based on agriculture, is vulnerable to natural disasters. The country  is also heavily dependent on international aid and remittances from the diaspora. “Journalism is one of the lowest paid professions and, aside from those working for the state media and a few privately owned media, reporters struggle to meet their basic food needs.

Sociocultural context”.

It said that the security situation for reporters in Haiti has significantly worsened, making the country one of the most dangerous in the world for journalism.

“Media professionals are targeted by gangs and regularly subjected to threats, attacks, kidnappings and assassinations. They risk their lives both while covering events and within their own newsrooms, which are also under attack.

“In the absence of the rule of law, this increased violence is committed with impunity. As the gangs have extended their control over the capital, journalists have been able to work in fewer and fewer districts, not without considerable risk. Many have resigned themselves to fleeing abroad,” RSF said in its annual report.

Overall, RSF said that journalism across the Americas, including the Caribbean, faces persistent structural and economic challenges, including media concentration, weak public outlets and precarious labour conditions.

It said that the crisis has deepened in recent years with the collapse of the media’s traditional business models.

“As ad revenue shifts to giant tech platforms and news consumption habits change, newsrooms shrink and editorial independence disintegrates. In the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, 22 of the region’s 28 countries saw their economic indicators drop.

“The impact of this decline is profound. Financial strain has pushed some outlets to serve political or commercial interests in exchange for funding, while others depend on official press releases due to limited resources to carry out proper reporting.

“In hostile environments, self-censorship becomes a means of survival. As journalism’s public service role is degraded, propaganda and disinformation fill the void — threatening the region’s democracies,” RSF added.