Georgia Drops to 135th in Press Freedom Index as Media Environment Deteriorates
By Messenger Staff
Friday, May 1, 2026
Georgia has fallen 21 places in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, ranking 135th out of 180 countries, down from 114th last year and marking a decline of 75 positions over the past 25 years.
RSF classifies Georgia as a "difficult" country, noting that more than half of all countries now fall into the "difficult" or "very serious" categories, with the global average score at its lowest level in 25 years.
The index, published on April 30, comes amid what RSF describes as a worsening environment for independent media in Georgia, including pressure linked to restrictive laws and a broader crackdown on dissent. It also comes while journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli remains imprisoned.
"After more than a year of democratic crisis and crackdown on protests and their coverage, Georgia. has fallen 21 places in the Index," RSF said, pointing to "restrictive laws. on 'foreign agents' and media funding" and "new barriers to accessing information" as signs of eroding rule of law.
The organization also cited Georgia as one of the countries where the information space has narrowed over time due to "increasingly repressive regimes," alongside places such as Hong Kong and El Salvador.
RSF further flagged Georgia in the context of the "criminalisation of journalism," saying legal pressures on media have intensified globally and are "notably the case" in several countries, including Georgia.
In a November 2025 assessment, RSF said press freedom violations in Georgia had reached "unprecedented levels," reporting around 600 attacks on journalists since October 2024 and warning that many independent outlets are struggling to survive.
In a separate March report, the organization also said China is "gradually strengthening" its influence over Georgia's information space, contributing to the spread of "authoritarian narratives" in an already weakened media environment.
