KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 — Malaysia went up by 19 ranks to place 88th out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index 2025 released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) today.

The country also went up into the "problematic” category with a score of 56.09 in the index, after dipping into the "difficult” category last year. Malaysia had placed 107th last year — scoring 52.07.

"In the Asia-Pacific region, press freedom and access to reliable news sources are severely compromised by the predominance of regimes — often authoritarian — that strictly control information, often through economic means.

"In many countries, the government has a tight grip on media ownership, allowing them to interfere in outlets’ editorial choices,” said the report.

"In several countries, the concentration of media ownership in the hands of political magnates threatens media plurality. In India (151th), Indonesia (127th) and Malaysia (88th), a handful of politically connected conglomerates control most media groups,” it added.

This comes as RSF said economic fragility has become the primary threat to press freedom worldwide, with over half the world’s population now live in countries where journalism is considered a dangerous profession and press freedom is entirely absent.

In an accompanying release, RSF editorial director Anne Bocandé said guaranteeing media freedom, independence, and plurality today hinges on establishing stable and transparent financial foundations.

"When news media are financially strained, they are drawn into a race to attract audiences at the expense of quality reporting, and can fall prey to the oligarchs and public authorities who seek to exploit them.

"When journalists are impoverished, they no longer have the means to resist the enemies of the press — those who champion disinformation and propaganda,” she said.

Bocandé stressed the urgent need to restore the media economy in a way that supports the production of reliable information, which she described as "inherently costly,” and called for large-scale deployment of existing solutions to ensure journalism serves the public interest.

The report found that authoritarian regimes and political actors increasingly exploit media funding as a tool to exert pressure and manipulate editorial lines.

RSF highlighted growing concerns over the consolidation of media ownership, warning that it limits editorial diversity and increases risks of self-censorship and external interference.

It also pointed to a global deterioration in journalists’ safety, with "worsening conditions in the field” and the normalisation of violence against reporters.

RSF urged governments and civil society to act swiftly, warning that "without systemic solutions, journalism is becoming increasingly vulnerable to market logic and political coercion.”

The 2025 World Press Freedom Index evaluates the state of journalism in 180 countries and territories using a methodology that combines a qualitative survey with quantitative data.