"Press freedom is facing new threats in major democracies as well as in repressive states, where authorities are focusing their efforts on social media and other online platforms after subduing the independence of major print and broadcast outlets. The analysis below—drawn from the findings of Freedom House’s most recent Freedom in the World, Freedom on the Net, and Nations in Transit research projects and from its in-country programs—shows that media independence is under pressure in every region of the world, but also that dedicated journalists are still playing a vital role in even the most hostile environments." (Abstract)