Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released the 2025 press freedom ranking, and Greece has dropped to 89th place, from 88th in 2024.
In their justification, RSF states that press freedom in Greece has faced a systemic crisis since 2021, with the scandal of phone tapping of journalists by the National Intelligence Service (EYP) still unresolved, as well as the case of the murder of investigative reporter Giorgos Karaivaz in 2021. SLAPP lawsuits are also common.
Public trust in the media has been one of the lowest in Europe for many years, as a few businessmen or corporate groups control the vast majority of the media, while also being involved in other business sectors, with some having close ties to the country’s political elite.
Norway is ranked first on the list, with Estonia, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Finland completing the top five.
At the same time, the police frequently resort to violence and arbitrary bans to obstruct journalistic coverage of protests and the refugee crisis on the Greek islands.
The introduction of the general report notes that, while physical attacks on journalists are the most visible violations of press freedom, economic pressure is also a significant issue.
The RSF World Press Freedom Index has now reached an unprecedented, critical low, with its decline continuing in 2025. The global state of press freedom is now described as “difficult.”
