Globally, 1 in every 6 people had access to a free press last year, according to a report released this week by Freedom House, an independent watchdog organization.
In fact, the percentage of people living in a country with an independent media fell to its lowest point in more than a decade.
This news comes as we mark World Press Freedom Day. Established by the U.N., this day is meant to to remember journalists who have been imprisoned or silenced for doing their job and to encourage governments around the world to respect the freedom of the press.
The I Files team has put together a playlist highlighting the high-stakes challenges that journalists face in many countries around the world.

This PBS “NewsHour” piece by KQED and the Center for Investigative Reporting goes inside Iran with a report by an anonymous journalist investigating how the government is cracking down on reporters and defense attorneys for crimes against national security.
“Journalism under anti-terrorism law” explores how the Ethiopian government is using an anti-terror law imported from the U.S. to blur the line between what is considered terrorism and what is considered journalism.
And here in the U.S., ABC’s “Nightline” investigates the possible chilling effect of new laws that prohibit the undercover filming of animal cruelty and agricultural abuses on private farm properties.
Other videos detail the struggles of journalists in Mexico, Russia and Syria – all cited in the Freedom House report as some of the most repressive and dangerous places for journalists to work.