{"id":13089,"date":"2026-05-05T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=13089"},"modified":"2026-05-04T16:38:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T21:38:56","slug":"panama-falls-12-spots-in-global-press-freedom-ranking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/politics-government\/panama-falls-12-spots-in-global-press-freedom-ranking\/","title":{"rendered":"Panama Falls 12 Spots in Global Press Freedom Ranking"},"content":{"rendered":"

Panama<\/a> has fallen 12 positions in the latest global press freedom<\/strong> index. The country now ranks 65th worldwide, down from 53rd in 2024. Reporters Without Borders<\/a> released the report on World Press Freedom Day, observed annually on May 3.<\/p>\n

The ranking places Panama behind regional neighbors like Costa Rica at position 38 and the Dominican Republic at 44. This decline comes after the country showed improvement in 2024. The report paints a concerning picture for journalists working in the Central American nation.<\/p>\n

Journalists Face Judicial Pressure and Self-Censorship<\/h2>\n

Panamanian reporters who investigate corruption cases face significant pressure. Those who maintain a critical stance toward government policies encounter obstacles, especially from the judicial system. The report warns that self-censorship has increased across the country.<\/p>\n

State advertising contracts for digital media outlets have grown substantially. This financial dependence affects editorial independence. Many digital news platforms now rely on government money to survive.<\/p>\n

The current legal framework offers little protection for journalism. Defamation lawsuits are frequent and often result in financial penalties, creating a serious obstacle for press freedom. [Translated from Spanish]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The report documents ongoing court cases seeking asset seizures and salary garnishments against journalists. These legal actions stem from alleged damage to the reputation of political figures. Such cases create a chilling effect throughout the media landscape.<\/p>\n

\"freedom
freedom of press index panama<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Economic Pressure Through Advertising Contracts<\/h2>\n

Panama maintains an open and competitive economy overall. But the communication sector tells a different story. The government exerts influence by controlling how it allocates advertising contracts.<\/p>\n

Traditional media outlets have reduced their staff due to financial struggles. Meanwhile digital media increasingly depends on state revenue. This dynamic creates a fragile environment for independent journalism.<\/p>\n

Physical attacks against journalists remain relatively rare. The main threat comes from judicial mechanisms instead. Lawyers and courts have become the primary tools for silencing critical reporting.<\/p>\n

Global Press Freedom Reaches New Low<\/h2>\n

The report reveals a troubling worldwide trend. For the first time in 25 years of the Freedom of the press<\/a> ranking, more than half of all countries face difficult or very grave situations. The global average score has dropped to its lowest point ever.<\/p>\n

Restrictive laws are spreading across the world. Criminalization of journalism is on the rise. These patterns affect both established democracies and developing nations.<\/p>\n

The regional decline affects many countries including the United States. Latin America has seen widespread deterioration. Violence, political pressure and legal restrictions all contribute to the problem.<\/p>\n

Panama’s drop reflects broader regional challenges. The country now must address these concerns to protect democratic institutions. Journalists continue their work despite mounting obstacles.<\/p>\n

The report calls for stronger legal protections for media workers. It recommends ending the use of defamation laws against reporters. Transparency in state advertising spending would also help reduce pressure on news outlets.<\/p>\n

Panamanian civil society groups have expressed concern about the ranking. They urge the government to take concrete steps. Protecting press freedom remains essential for democracy and accountability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Panama has fallen 12 positions in the latest global press freedom index. The country now ranks 65th worldwide, down from 53rd in 2024. Reporters Without Borders released the report on World Press Freedom Day, observed annually on May 3. The ranking places Panama behind regional neighbors like Costa Rica at position 38 and the Dominican<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12079,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[4131,50,1421,317],"class_list":{"0":"post-13089","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politics-government","8":"tag-global-press-freedom","9":"tag-panama","10":"tag-panama-press-freedom","11":"tag-press-freedom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13089","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13089"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13089\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13091,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13089\/revisions\/13091"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13089"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13089"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13089"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}