The 1940s
Government actions against journalists, 1940 to 1949
3 recorded incidents dated 1940 to 1949, by continent and region.
Asia
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Israel retains a British-era law giving the military the power to review and restrict the press | Israel (RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180) | Prior restraint | David Ben-Gurion | Ongoing (January 1, 1989) |
North America
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 19, 1941 | United States creates an Office of Censorship and a wartime code for the press | United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180) | Prior restraint | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Sustained (September 28, 1945) |
Oceania
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 16, 1944 | Australia's wartime government seizes a Sydney newspaper edition under press controls rules | Australia (RSF 2026 rank: 33rd of 180) | Prior restraint | John Curtin | Reversed (April 18, 1944) |