March 2026 recorded 8.9 / 10.
March moved the index from 8.4 to 8.9 as press freedom, election administration, court compliance, executive power, and military/intelligence neutrality all sharpened as risk categories.
Why this period mattered
The March scorecard described a broader escalation across press freedom, election administration, court compliance, and executive power. The report stated that March moved the index from 8.4 to 8.9 because a triggered press-freedom redline and a new federal-election-override Watch signal widened the danger pattern beyond domains that had already deteriorated earlier in the month.
Key score drivers
The March report identified journalist charges for routine reporting as a triggered redline indicator.
Federal override of certified election results moved to Watch, broadening the pattern into election administration.
The March category scorecard recorded Military / Intelligence Neutrality at 8.8.
Rule of Law & Court Compliance was recorded at 8.7, keeping courts and compliance near the top of the risk stack.
Key evidence and benchmark events
- The March scorecard recorded Military / Intelligence Neutrality at 8.8.
- Rule of Law & Court Compliance was recorded at 8.7.
- Election Integrity was recorded at 8.6.
- The Redline Tracker marked journalists criminally charged for routine reporting as Triggered.
- The Redline Tracker marked federal override of certified election results as Watch.
Methodology note
This page preserves a published-scorecard month inside the current archive system. The formal report translates that scorecard record into the same public report structure used for later monthly reports.
Archive page for March 2026.