The War On News

A record of government actions against journalism and fact-based reporting, 1900 to today

The record

Incidents in North America

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
CountryCanada, RSF 2026 rank: 20th of 180El Salvador, RSF 2026 rank: 143rd of 180Guatemala, RSF 2026 rank: 128th of 180Haiti, RSF 2026 rank: 107th of 180MexicoNicaragua, RSF 2026 rank: 168th of 180United States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180
ContinentNorth America
TacticAccess bans 20Surveillance and subpoenas 15Detention and violence 11Secrets and espionage laws 11Funding and ownership pressure 10Credential control 6Prior restraint 6Lawsuits against the press 5Expulsion and visa denial 3Official labels 2Shutdowns and blocking 2Licensing and closure of outlets 1
StageRestrict 19Pressure 16Punish 20Silence 5Eliminate 3
OutcomeSustained 19Reversed 18Ongoing 13Unknown 8Upheld by a court 5
LevelNational 53State or province 7Municipal 3
Head of governmentAlejandro GiammatteiBarack ObamaDaniel OrtegaDonald TrumpDoug DuceyDwight D. EisenhowerEnrique Pena NietoFranklin D. RooseveltGeorge H. W. BushGeorge W. BushJacob FreyJean-Claude DuvalierJeff LandryJoe BidenJohn HorganKaren BassLaura KellyNayib BukeleRichard NixonRon DeSantisRonald ReaganTheodore ChristiansonTim WalzWoodrow Wilson

63 incidents match this view. Showing 13 on page 2 of 2.

TableCardsCSVJSONMarkdown
DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
10 February 2003Pentagon sets ground rules for journalists embedded with United States forces in IraqUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansGeorge W. BushSustained (14 April 2003)
17 January 1991United States military restricts reporters to escorted press pools during the Gulf WarUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansGeorge H. W. BushSustained (28 February 1991)
25 October 1983United States military bars journalists from the invasion of GrenadaUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansRonald ReaganReversed (1 April 1985)
1980Haiti's Duvalier government arrests and deports Radio Haiti-Inter staff, driving its director into exileHaiti (RSF 2026 rank: 107th of 180)Expulsion and visa denialJean-Claude DuvalierReversed (1 February 1986)
9 September 1971United States: Nixon White House "enemies list" naming journalists, September 1971United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasRichard NixonUnknown
16 August 1971Nixon White House compiles an enemies list naming journalists for official pressureUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasRichard NixonReversed (27 June 1973)
15 June 1971United States government seeks an injunction to stop The New York Times publishing the Pentagon PapersUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Prior restraintRichard NixonReversed (30 June 1971)
1969United States Supreme Court rules reporters have no privilege to refuse grand jury subpoenasUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasRichard NixonUpheld by a court (29 June 1972)
November 1955United States Senate panel subpoenas dozens of New York Times journalists over Communist tiesUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasDwight D. EisenhowerSustained (1 December 1956)
19 December 1941United States creates an Office of Censorship and a wartime code for the pressUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Prior restraintFranklin D. RooseveltSustained (28 September 1945)
1927United States Supreme Court strikes down a Minnesota law used to shut a newspaperUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Prior restraintTheodore ChristiansonReversed (1 June 1931)
July 1917United States postmaster bars the magazine The Masses from the mail under the Espionage ActUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsWoodrow WilsonUpheld by a court (1 November 1917)
1917United States Postmaster General Burleson strips the Milwaukee Leader of its mailing rateUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingWoodrow WilsonUpheld by a court (7 March 1921)
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