Two new reports from international press freedom organizations say that attacks on media threaten major democracies. Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, and Freedom House released their yearly reports on press freedom this week. Both reports criticized Western populist leaders for discrediting the media, insulting journalists and threatening restrictions. The writers of the Freedom House report noted that the West’s decline in press freedom marks a change from recent years. Five years ago “global pressure on the media did not appear to affect the United States or the established democracies of Europe in any significant way.” Now, the report said, populist leaders present a major threat to free expression. Reporters Without Borders issued a similar warning.