The annual review of the world media has begun with the end of 2025. According to the 2025 Media Year in Review, released by 'The Poynter', an organization focused on journalism and media studies, this year has been a year of intense polarization, political interference, and technological challenges for the media sector.

The attacks on the press, especially in the first year of US President Donald Trump's second term, the institutional support he received from the new Pope, the leadership changes at major media houses, and the use and misuse of artificial intelligence have become major events of the year.

Increasing pressure on the Trump administration and the press

According to Poynter, the biggest media event of 2025 is the Trump administration's continued attacks on the press. In the first year of his second term, the White House cut the government budgets of NPR and PBS.

The Associated Press (AP) was banned from several presidential-related events for refusing to call the Gulf of Mexico the 'Gulf of America', further exposing the risks to press freedom. Personal insults, insulting comments, and accusations against journalists did not stop. Poynter's 'Press Freedom Watch' has commented that 2025 has proven to be a 'dark year' for the press in the United States.

Media division

The murder of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk in mid-year exposed the ideological divide in the American media. Similarly, the scandal involving journalist Olivia Nuzzi, the change in the editorial policy of the Washington Post, and the subsequent institutional discontent have sparked a serious debate on the ethics and impartiality of journalism.

The decision to change the editorial policy has also raised questions about the role of the owner of the Washington Post, Jeff Bezos. Many senior journalists resigned in protest, which further deepened the polarization within the media house.

AI: Abuse and Potential

In the technology sector, Poynter has pointed out that the risk of misinformation on social media has increased further after Meta (Facebook/Instagram) announced that it would shut down its 'third-party fact-checking' system. Meanwhile, the Chicago Sun Times has come under fire after it published a list of non-existent books using AI. However, the Minnesota Star Tribune has also shown the positive potential of technology by using AI to bring significant results in investigative journalism, the report states.

Gaza: The most unsafe area for journalists

The conflict zone remained the most dangerous for journalists in 2025. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), about 43 percent of the journalists killed worldwide this year lost their lives during Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip. Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon and Iran have been depicted as the world's most unsafe places to be a journalist.