Era
The 1970s
Government actions against journalists, 1970 to 1979
11 recorded incidents dated 1970 to 1979, by continent and region.
Africa
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 October 1977 | South Africa bans The World and Weekend World newspapers and detains editor Percy Qoboza | South Africa (RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180) | Licensing and closure of outlets | Balthazar Johannes Vorster | Sustained (1 March 1978) |
Asia
South-eastern Asia
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 September 1972 | Philippines President Marcos closes every major news outlet under martial law | Philippines (RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180) | Shutdowns and blocking | Ferdinand Marcos | Reversed (25 February 1986) |
Southern Asia
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 June 1975 | India imposes pre-press controls on every newspaper during the 1975 Emergency | India (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180) | Prior restraint | Indira Gandhi | Reversed (21 March 1977) |
Europe
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 November 1972 | United Kingdom court bars The Sunday Times from publishing an article on thalidomide | United Kingdom (RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180) | Prior restraint | Edward Heath | Reversed (26 April 1979) |
North America
South America
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 September 1973 | Chile's military government shuts opposition radio stations and newspapers after the 1973 coup | Chile (RSF 2026 rank: 70th of 180) | Shutdowns and blocking | Augusto Pinochet | Sustained (1 March 1990) |
| 24 March 1976 | Argentina's military junta threatens journalists with prison for reporting on its opponents | Argentina (RSF 2026 rank: 98th of 180) | Detention and violence | Jorge Rafael Videla | Reversed (10 December 1983) |