Overview
- Italy’s rank dropped to 56th out of 180 in RSF’s 2026 index, down from 49th last year, in a year RSF says global press freedom hit a 25-year low.
- RSF points to the 2024 “gag law” that bars publishing custody orders until preliminary proceedings end, which curbs reporting on court cases.
- Reporters face violence and intimidation from mafia groups and extremists, and about twenty journalists live under permanent police protection.
- RSF says Italy’s public broadcaster RAI faces direct political interference that risks turning it into a government communication tool.
- Rising SLAPPs—lawsuits used to silence critics—plus defamation cases and precarious jobs fuel self-censorship and erode newsroom independence.