Residents in many of these countries with the lowest percentage of adults saying their media are free have consistently expressed skepticism about the presence of media freedom. Residents in Russia and Yemen, however, were less likely to say their media are free in 2012 than in previous years. Nearly half of Russian adults (48%) said their country’s media have a lot of freedom in early 2012, but this sentiment dropped to 38% by October. Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders noted declines in press freedom in Russia in along with increased restrictions on political protests and opposition in 2012 from 2011.

Views of press freedom in Sudan also declined in 2012, dropping to 37% from 51% in 2010. Sudan is among Freedom House’s “Worst of the Worst” list of violators of freedom of the press.