The War On News

A record of government actions against journalism and fact-based reporting, from the first press laws to today

Incident

Britain's Official Press Bureau controls newspaper coverage of the First World War

United KingdomRSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180

Engraving of an empty press briefing room with a lectern and rows of chairs

Weeks after Britain entered the First World War, Prime Minister Herbert Asquith told the House of Commons that the Official Press Bureau was the sole channel through which the Admiralty, the War Office and other departments released naval and military information to newspapers. Members of Parliament later complained in the Commons that the Bureau delayed and withheld war news from the public.12

What happened

The First World War began for Britain on August 4, 1914, and within weeks the government set up the Official Press Bureau to control the release of naval and military information to the press. On August 27, 1914, Prime Minister Herbert Asquith told the House of Commons that the Bureau was the mouthpiece through which the Admiralty, the War Office and other public departments made war news public, and that the government had considered but decided against adding trained journalists directly to the Bureau's own staff, associating them instead with the cable censors. On November 12, 1914, member of Parliament Sir William Bull moved an amendment to the Address in reply to the King's Speech, telling the Commons that "the Press censorship started badly" and that officials had delayed and withheld accounts of events at the front for hours or days at a time. The Bureau remained the government's central channel for war news, and members of Parliament continued pressing ministers about delays in releasing information to newspapers.123456

What reason was given

Stated justification

The government said that all information that could be given without prejudice to the public interest would be given fully and promptly, but that naval and military considerations required screening war news before its release.3

What changed for reporting

Newspapers depended on the Press Bureau for authorized war news, and journalists were associated with the Bureau's cable censors rather than given independent access to military information.45

Timeline

1914

27 August 1914
Britain's Official Press Bureau controls newspaper coverage of the First World War

Who acted

NameRole in this incidentOffice at the time
Herbert Henry AsquithannouncedPrime Minister of the United Kingdom

Sources

  1. British Press Bureau (Hansard, 27 August 1914)British Press Bureau (Hansard, 27 August 1914), 1914-08-27, primary. Source record
  2. Press Censorship (Hansard, 12 November 1914)Press Censorship (Hansard, 12 November 1914), 1914-11-12, primary. Source record

Claims and evidence

Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.

  1. Prime Minister Asquith described the Press Bureau's role to the House of Commons on August 27, 1914.HC Deb 27 August 1914 vol 66 cc150-2British Press Bureau (Hansard, 27 August 1914), British Press Bureau (Hansard, 27 August 1914), 1914-08-27.Claim 949, checked 2026-09-26.
  2. Asquith said the Official Press Bureau was the sole channel through which the Admiralty, War Office and other departments made naval and military information public.Official Press Bureau is the mouthpiece through which communications relative to the progress of naval and military operations are made public by the Admiralty, the War Office, and other public Departments concerned.British Press Bureau (Hansard, 27 August 1914), British Press Bureau (Hansard, 27 August 1914), 1914-08-27.Claim 950, checked 2026-09-26.
  3. Asquith said the principle governing release of information was that everything that could be given without harming the public interest would be given fully and promptly.can be given without prejudice to the public interest shall be given fully and given at once.British Press Bureau (Hansard, 27 August 1914), British Press Bureau (Hansard, 27 August 1914), 1914-08-27.Claim 951, checked 2026-09-26.
  4. The government decided not to add trained journalists to the Bureau's own staff, instead associating them with the work of the cable censors.It was unanimously agreed that it was not desirable to add such persons to the staff of the Bureau, but that it was desirable that they should be associated with the work carried on by the cable censors.British Press Bureau (Hansard, 27 August 1914), British Press Bureau (Hansard, 27 August 1914), 1914-08-27.Claim 952, checked 2026-09-26.
  5. Member of Parliament Sir William Bull told the House of Commons that "the Press censorship started badly."The Press censorship started badly.Press Censorship (Hansard, 12 November 1914), Press Censorship (Hansard, 12 November 1914), 1914-11-12.Claim 953, checked 2026-09-26.
  6. Members of Parliament continued raising complaints about the Press Bureau's control of war news in a Commons debate on November 12, 1914.HC Deb 12 November 1914 vol 68 cc123-66Press Censorship (Hansard, 12 November 1914), Press Censorship (Hansard, 12 November 1914), 1914-11-12.Claim 954, checked 2026-09-26.