From Foreign Policy · Antonio Zappulla · · 1m 10s
Global Impunity Map Shows Press Freedom Decline
Press freedom drops fuel global impunity as countries like Afghanistan and China tighten controls.
In brief
Press freedom drops fuel global impunity as countries like Afghanistan and China tighten controls. Press freedom deterioration correlates with rising impunity, especially in conflict zones and authoritarian states. Originally reported by Foreign Policy.
Daphne Caruana Galizia's Murder
Nine years after anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed by car bomb in 2017, a Maltese business tycoon was acquitted of her murder.
“Everybody is much more at risk now because this signals you can kill journalists with impunity”
Impunity Map Release
The Eurasia Group and Thomson Reuters Foundation published the Atlas of Impunity in June 2026 showing press freedom decline drives global impunity.
Conflict Zones and Impunity
Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Sudan show worsening impunity as conflict zones increasingly involve nonstate actors.
Authoritarian Press Control
China and Central Asian republics have low press freedom scores despite no major conflicts, creating high impunity levels.
Afghanistan's Press Crisis
Afghanistan saw the steepest press freedom drop as Taliban implemented restrictive laws since 2021, forcing two-thirds of journalists to leave.
Kyrgyzstan's Media Crackdown
Kyrgyzstan, with the fourth-largest press freedom decline, used new 'misinformation' laws to suppress independent media.
The takeaway
Press freedom deterioration correlates with rising impunity, especially in conflict zones and authoritarian states.
