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The 2020s

Government actions against journalists, 2020 to 2029

20 recorded incidents dated 2020 to 2029, by continent and region.

Asia

Western Asia

DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
March 19, 2025Türkiye: detention, injury and deportation of journalists covering protests, March 2025TürkiyeDetention and violenceRecep Tayyip ErdoğanUnknown (April 2, 2025)
January 7, 2026Israel: ban on independent entry of foreign journalists into the Gaza Strip, 2023 to 2026IsraelAccess bansSustained (February 25, 2026)

Eastern Asia

DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
December 15, 2025China (Hong Kong): conviction and 20-year sentence of the media owner Jimmy Lai under the National Security Law, 2025 to 2026Hong KongDetention and violenceJohn LeeSustained (February 8, 2026)

Southern Asia

DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
February 10, 2026India: one-year prison sentence for the journalist Ravi Nair in a criminal defamation case, February 2026IndiaInsult and defamation lawsNarendra ModiUnknown (February 10, 2026)

Europe

DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
December 20, 2023Hungary: National Sovereignty Protection Act and Sovereignty Protection Office, December 2023HungaryOfficial labelsViktor OrbanReversed (June 30, 2026)
August 4, 2026Russia: law on asset freezes and service denials for exiled "foreign agents", August 2026RussiaOfficial labelsVladimir PutinSustained (August 4, 2026)

North America

Northern America

DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
May 24, 2024United States (Louisiana): 25-foot buffer zone law around police officers, May 2024United StatesAccess bansJeff LandryOngoing (January 31, 2025)
January 1, 2025United States (Florida): Halo Law buffer zone around first responders, January 2025United StatesAccess bansRon DeSantisSustained (January 1, 2025)
January 31, 2025United States (Louisiana): Federal court order blocking enforcement of the police buffer zone law, January 2025United StatesAccess bansJeff LandryOngoing (January 31, 2025)
February 11, 2025United States: White House exclusion of the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One, February 2025United StatesAccess bansDonald TrumpOngoing (July 22, 2025)
February 25, 2025United States: White House takes over selection of the presidential press pool, February 2025United StatesAccess bansDonald TrumpSustained (September 22, 2026)
March 15, 2025United States: U.S. Agency for Global Media action to shut down Voice of America operations, March 2025United StatesFunding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpOngoing (March 28, 2025)
April 25, 2025United States: Department of Justice rescission of rules limiting subpoenas of journalists, April 2025United StatesSurveillance and subpoenasDonald TrumpSustained (April 25, 2025)
May 1, 2025United States: Executive Order 14290 directing an end to federal funding for NPR and PBS, May 2025United StatesFunding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpUnknown
July 1, 2025United States: Paramount settlement of Donald Trump's lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview, July 2025United StatesLawsuits against the pressDonald TrumpSustained (July 1, 2025)
September 17, 2025United States: Federal Communications Commission chairman's remarks and the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, September 2025United StatesFunding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpReversed (September 23, 2025)
September 19, 2025United States: Department of Defense press credential rules requiring approval before release of information, September 2025United StatesCredential controlDonald TrumpOngoing (April 9, 2026)
October 15, 2025United States: News organizations turn in their Pentagon press credentials, October 2025United StatesCredential controlDonald TrumpOngoing (April 9, 2026)
September 18, 2026United States: White House hard-pass deactivations for CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters, September 2026United StatesAccess bansDonald TrumpOngoing (September 21, 2026)

Central America

DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
April 2026El Salvador: freeze on assets of shareholders in El Faro's parent company, February to April 2026El SalvadorFunding and ownership pressureNayib BukeleSustained (May 8, 2026)

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