Era
The 1960s
Government actions against journalists, 1960 to 1969
7 recorded incidents dated 1960 to 1969, by continent and region.
Africa
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 May 1960 | Egypt's Nasser government nationalizes every newspaper and magazine in the country | Egypt (RSF 2026 rank: 169th of 180) | Funding and ownership pressure | Gamal Abdel Nasser | Ongoing (1 January 1989) |
Europe
Western Europe
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 October 1962 | West Germany: police raid Der Spiegel's offices and arrest its editors over a defense article | Germany (RSF 2026 rank: 14th of 180) | Detention and violence | Konrad Adenauer | Unknown |
Eastern Europe
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 August 1968 | Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia is followed by the return of government press controls | Czechia (RSF 2026 rank: 11th of 180) | Prior restraint | Alexander Dubček | Reversed (1 November 1989) |
North America
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | United States: Montgomery, Alabama commissioner sues The New York Times for libel over a civil rights advertisement | United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180) | Lawsuits against the press | John Patterson | Reversed (9 March 1964) |
| 24 September 1962 | United States: Texas judge allows televised pretrial hearing in the Billie Sol Estes case; Supreme Court later limits cameras in criminal courtrooms | United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180) | Access bans | Price Daniel | Reversed (7 June 1965) |
| 1969 | United States Supreme Court rules reporters have no privilege to refuse grand jury subpoenas | United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180) | Surveillance and subpoenas | Richard Nixon | Upheld by a court (29 June 1972) |
South America
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 December 1968 | Brazil's military government decrees the Fifth Institutional Act and moves to control the press | Brazil (RSF 2026 rank: 52nd of 180) | Prior restraint | Artur da Costa e Silva | Unknown |