An independent war and politics outlet says its founder's phone was hit twice by state-grade spyware, a bad sign for journalists everywhere and part of a wider crackdown on the press.

• Apple warned the outlet's owner that his phone had been targeted in a "mercenary spyware" attack, the second alert in a few months.
• Tools like Pegasus cost millions, are usually bought by governments, and can turn on a phone's camera and microphone without the owner knowing.
• Who did it is unknown, and there is no confirmation the attackers got in — but the outlet has already had legal threats from Somalia and other government contact.
• Reporters Without Borders now rates over half of all countries as difficult or very serious for press freedom, the worst reading in the index's 25 years.
• The point of this kind of pressure is fear: reporters drop risky stories, and outlets avoid hiring independent journalists.

Outlook: Spying on journalists is likely to spread as the tools get cheaper and more governments decide there is no penalty for using them.