The Handmaid’s Tale author was awarded the prize in partnership with Index on Censorship

The Handmaid’s Tale author was awarded the prize in partnership with Index on Censorship
Index rounds up of some of the key stories covering censorship and free expression from the past seven days
With the annual celebration taking place on 3 May 2025, six journalists from around the globe tell Index what press freedom means to them
Index rounds up of some of the key stories covering censorship and free expression from the past seven days
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is reportedly under pressure to repeal hate speech laws in order to secure a favourable trade deal with the USA
It is deeply troubling that the USA’s new health secretary believes in conspiracy theories and is hostile towards modern medicine
Index rounds up of some of the key stories covering censorship and free expression from the past seven days
Chinese censors are feasting on the chaos that is Donald Trump’s trade war
Index rounds up of some of the key stories covering censorship and free expression from the past seven days
Contents
Smears about the media made by US President Donald Trump have obscured a wider problem with press freedom in the United States: namely widespread and low-level animosity that feeds into the everyday working lives of the nation’s journalists, bloggers and media professionals. This study examines documented reports from across the country in the six months leading up to the presidential inauguration and the months after. It clearly shows that threats to US press freedom go well beyond the Oval Office.
“Animosity toward the press comes in many forms. Journalists are targeted in several ways: from social media trolling to harassment by law enforcement to over-the-top public criticism by those in the highest office. The negative atmosphere for journalists is damaging for the public and their right to information,” said Jodie Ginsberg, CEO at Index on Censorship, which documented the cases using an approach undertaken by the organization to monitor press freedom in Europe over the past three years. Learn more.