The report provides the latest assessment of the operating environment for independent journalists in Cambodia.
This statement was originally published on CCIM’s Facebook page on 28 May 2026.
The Cambodian Center for Independent Media (#CCIM) is pleased to announce the release of our latest report on the state of the media in 2025 to the public and all journalists.
What challenges are Cambodian journalists currently facing? Find the answers in this report!
👉Download and read the full report here
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This study assesses the state of independent media in Cambodia in 2025, covering the period from 01 January to 31 December 2025. It draws on a desk review, an online survey of 109 journalists and citizen journalists, four Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and nine Key Informant Interviews (KIIs). The findings indicate that Cambodia’s media environment remains constrained, with pressures becoming more complex and interconnected compared to
2024.
As outlined in the Challenges for Independent Media (CIM) 2025 Report, press freedom in Cambodia continues to decline, with 69% of surveyed journalists reporting concerns about legal imprisonment as the most significant pressure (Figure 3), and 39% experiencing safety concerns in 2025 (Figure 4).
The legal and regulatory framework remains a central challenge and has at times been used against journalists, contributing to a climate of legal uncertainty and self-censorship. The continued use of broadly defined Criminal Code provisions, particularly incitement and defamation, contributes to this restrictive climate. In 2025, these pressures increased with the use of national security provisions, including Article 445, under which two journalists were sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment. New regulatory measures, such as the Prakas on Qualifications and Journalistic Professionalism (2025), have also introduced stricter requirements for press accreditation, raising concerns about barriers for freelance and citizen journalists.
This study presents nine key findings that collectively form the foundation for its conclusions and recommendations on the state of journalism and the challenges facing media professionals today.
Key Finding One, Challenges for Independent Journalists: Journalists reported facing significant pressures from both internal and external environments. Significantly, 94% of respondents (Figure 2) expressed serious safety concerns, with many reporting persistent fear of legal threats, including the risk of imprisonment or legal action as a consequence of their work. When identifying the sources of these threats, journalists most frequently cited law enforcement officers and local officials as the primary perpetrators of harassment and intimidation.
Key Finding Two, Sensitive Topics Drive Higher Levels of Concern among Journalists: Coverage of sensitive topics – particularly corruption and the exploitation of natural resources, deforestation, and forest destruction – was found to drive significantly higher levels of concern among journalists. Reporting on these subjects was most frequently associated with exposure to threats and legal action, making them among the highest-risk areas of journalistic work documented in this study.
Key Finding Three, Access to information: Access to information remained a significant barrier for journalists, with the most commonly reported challenge being difficulty in requesting data or securing interviews with government officials. Notably, even the presentation of a valid press card or official institutional identification did not consistently guarantee access, with many journalists reporting that these credentials were insufficient to obtain interviews or retrieve information from key sources.
Key Finding Four, Work Related Stress and Mental Health for Journalists: The findings highlight an urgent need for psychological support among journalists. Financial constraints and persistent concerns about personal safety were identified as the primary drivers of psychological distress, with 30% of respondents reporting that they had sought counselling, therapy, or other mental health support services as a result.
Key Finding Five, Journalists Experienced Sexual Harassment While Performing Their Work, yet Only 35% Reported That Their Newsrooms Have Support Mechanisms: Journalists experience sexual harassment while performing their work, and the findings reveal an urgent need for newsrooms to establish clear and enforceable mechanisms to address sexual harassment in the workplace. Currently, only 35% of surveyed journalists reported that their newsroom has a formal mechanism in place to handle such issues leaving the majority of media professionals without adequate institutional protection.
Key Finding Six, Gender Responsiveness and Equality in the Newsrooms: The findings reveal significant gaps in how newsrooms recruit, support, and elevate women and gender-diverse professionals within the media sector. Evidence from KIIs further reveals that female journalists face a complex and overlapping set of structural, professional, and gender-based challenges that significantly limit their access to key career opportunities and leadership roles.
Key Finding Seven, Support Mechanisms for Journalists: The findings indicate that editorial standards and reporting safety remain the primary areas of institutional focus within newsrooms. However, other critical supporting mechanisms including mental health support, anti-discrimination and sexual harassment policies, genderresponsive policies, and fair pay practices remain priorities that are yet to be fully realized. Notably, less than half of surveyed journalists reported that their newsroom has these standards formally in place, highlighting a substantial gap between what is needed and what is currently provided (Figure 9).
Key Finding Eight, The Rise of AI-Driven Misinformation and Disinformation: The findings highlight a critical gap in technical capacity within the media sector, particularly in the ability of journalists to verify AI-generated or manipulated content. This gap is further reflected in the fact that 74% of surveyed journalists identified training on AI-generated content as a pressing professional need. Alongside this, there is a clear demand for the development of transparent and practical guidelines governing the use of AI tools within newsrooms. These findings signal that the media sector must treat AI literacy not as an optional skill but as a fundamental and urgent professional competency-one that requires coordinated investment in both training and institutional policy to ensure responsible, informed, and ethical use of AI in journalism.
Finally, Key Finding Nine, Needs for Future Journalism Training: The findings point toward the road ahead, identifying the capacity-building investments and skills development priorities needed to prepare media professionals for a rapidly changing industry. Importantly, this need extends beyond staff journalists to include freelance and citizen journalists-groups that are increasingly important to the modern media landscape yet are often left out of formal training opportunities.
INTRODUCTION
In 2025, independent media in Cambodia operates in a complex and increasingly constrained environment shaped by overlapping legal, political, financial, and technological pressures. This year was marked by several significant developments, including reductions in international funding affecting key media outlets, heightened sensitivity around reporting during the Cambodia–Thailand border tensions, and the introduction of new regulatory measures governing journalistic practice. In addition, the rapid growth of digital platforms and artificial intelligence has accelerated the spread of misinformation and reshaped how audiences access and engage with news.
In this context, journalists face growing challenges in conducting public interest reporting. These include rising legal risks, financial instability, restricted access to information, and emerging digital threats such as AI-driven misinformation and disinformation. These pressures affect journalists’ ability to report freely and safely, while also contributing to more cautious newsroom practices with wider implications for information integrity and public trust.
CCIM has produced the Challenges for Independent Media (CIM) Report [1] every year since 2013. The report provides a regular assessment of the operating environment for independent journalists in Cambodia. It documents key developments in the media sector, including legal and regulatory changes, political pressures, financial challenges, and safety risks faced by journalists including providing suggestions and recommendations to the state, CSOs, media organizations and journalists to ensure how we can overcome the challenges.
This report aims to offer a grounded and evidence-based resource for policymakers, CSOs, media practitioners, and international partners. It supports efforts to strengthen press freedom and media resilience in Cambodia, particularly in response to the shifting dynamics that define the media landscape in 2025.
1. “Challenges for Independent Media 2024 (English)”, CCIM, 2024, https://ccimcambodia.org/?page_id=6232
