The War On News

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

The record

Incidents in Europe, stage: silence, national level

Each incident is a dated action by a government, an official, a regulator, a court or a legislature that limited journalists' ability to gather or publish news.

The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.

All filters: country, dates, head of government, sort
CountryBelarus, RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180Czechia, RSF 2026 rank: 11th of 180Germany, RSF 2026 rank: 14th of 180GreeceHungary, RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180Poland, RSF 2026 rank: 27th of 180Portugal, RSF 2026 rank: 10th of 180Russia, RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180Spain, RSF 2026 rank: 29th of 180United Kingdom, RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180
ContinentEurope
TacticLicensing and closure of outlets 8Prior restraint 8Shutdowns and blocking 4Funding and ownership pressure 3Detention and violence 2Credential control 2Insult and defamation laws 1Secrets and espionage laws 1
StageSilence 18
OutcomeSustained 9Reversed 7Upheld by a court 1Ongoing 1
LevelNational 18
Head of governmentAdolf HitlerAlexander DubčekAlexander LukashenkoAntónio de Oliveira SalazarEdward HeathFrancisco FrancoGeorgios TsolakoglouHerbert Henry AsquithMargaret ThatcherMateusz MorawieckiViktor OrbanVladimir LeninVladimir PutinWojciech Jaruzelski

18 incidents match this view.

TableCardsCSVJSONMarkdown
DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
5 September 2022Russia: a Moscow court suspends Novaya Gazeta's print licenseRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsVladimir PutinSustained (5 September 2022)
4 March 2022Russia: regulator blocks BBC Russian, Deutsche Welle and other outletsRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Shutdowns and blockingVladimir PutinSustained (4 March 2022)
18 May 2021Belarus blocks Tut.by and arrests its editors as 'extremist'Belarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingAlexander LukashenkoSustained
April 2021Poland: state oil company Orlen buys the Polska Press newspaper groupPoland (RSF 2026 rank: 27th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureMateusz MorawieckiSustained (1 April 2021)
14 February 2021Hungary: Klubradio loses its terrestrial broadcast license over its tender applicationHungary (RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsViktor OrbanUpheld by a court (1 September 2021)
29 November 2018Hungary: formation of the KESMA pro-government media foundationHungary (RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureViktor OrbanSustained (29 November 2018)
14 April 2001State-controlled Gazprom takes formal control of Russia's independent NTV television networkRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Funding and ownership pressureVladimir PutinSustained (14 April 2001)
October 1988United Kingdom bars broadcasters from airing Sinn Féin members' own voicesUnited Kingdom (RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsMargaret ThatcherReversed (16 September 1994)
13 December 1981Poland's martial law government shuts nearly all newspapers and interns journalists overnightPoland (RSF 2026 rank: 27th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingWojciech JaruzelskiReversed (22 July 1983)
17 November 1972United Kingdom court bars The Sunday Times from publishing an article on thalidomideUnited Kingdom (RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180)Prior restraintEdward HeathReversed (26 April 1979)
21 August 1968Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia is followed by the return of government press controlsCzechia (RSF 2026 rank: 11th of 180)Prior restraintAlexander DubčekReversed (1 November 1989)
8 May 1941Greece: collaborationist government creates a Directorate-General for Press and Radio to review films and publications before releaseGreece (RSF rank: not recorded)Prior restraintGeorgios TsolakoglouSustained
April 1938Franco's Spain requires state permission to be a journalist under a wartime Press LawSpain (RSF 2026 rank: 29th of 180)Credential controlFrancisco FrancoReversed (1 April 1977)
4 October 1933Nazi Germany's Editors Law bars Jewish journalists, 1933Germany (RSF 2026 rank: 14th of 180)Credential controlAdolf HitlerReversed (8 May 1945)
28 February 1933Germany: Reichstag Fire Decree suspends freedom of the press, February 1933Germany (RSF 2026 rank: 14th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsAdolf HitlerSustained (1 May 1945)
1933Portugal's Salazar government formally establishes press controls under a new constitutionPortugal (RSF 2026 rank: 10th of 180)Prior restraintAntónio de Oliveira SalazarReversed (25 April 1974)
1922Glavlit created: Soviet censorship office, 1922Russia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Prior restraintVladimir LeninOngoing (1 January 1989)
27 August 1914Britain's Official Press Bureau controls newspaper coverage of the First World WarUnited Kingdom (RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180)Prior restraintHerbert Henry AsquithSustained (12 November 1914)
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