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 North America, stage: pressure

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
CountryCubaEl Salvador, RSF 2026 rank: 143rd of 180United States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180
ContinentNorth America
TacticFunding and ownership pressure 10Lawsuits against the press 5Surveillance and subpoenas 5Official labels 2Secrets and espionage laws 2Licensing and closure of outlets 1Prior restraint 1
StagePressure 21
OutcomeSustained 8Ongoing 5Reversed 4Unknown 3Upheld by a court 1
LevelNational 19Municipal 1State or province 1
Head of governmentDonald TrumpDwight D. EisenhowerFidel CastroFranklin D. RooseveltNayib BukeleOscar K. AllenRichard NixonRonald Reagan

21 incidents match this view.

TableCardsCSVJSONMarkdown
DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
28 April 2026Appeals court orders FCC to respond to challenge over 'news distortion' policyUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpOngoing (28 April 2026)
April 2026El Salvador: freeze on assets of shareholders in El Faro's parent company, February to April 2026El Salvador (RSF 2026 rank: 143rd of 180)Funding and ownership pressureNayib BukeleSustained (8 May 2026)
17 September 2025United States: Federal Communications Commission chairman's remarks and the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, September 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpReversed (23 September 2025)
15 September 2025Trump files, then refiles, $15 billion defamation suit against the New York TimesUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Lawsuits against the pressDonald TrumpOngoing (16 October 2025)
24 July 2025FCC approves Paramount-Skydance merger after CBS ombudsman and anti-DEI pledgesUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpSustained (24 July 2025)
18 July 2025Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over Epstein birthday letter storyUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Lawsuits against the pressDonald TrumpOngoing
18 July 2025Congress cuts $1.1 billion in federal funding for public broadcastingUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpSustained (24 July 2025)
1 July 2025United States: Paramount settlement of Donald Trump's lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview, July 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Lawsuits against the pressDonald TrumpSustained (1 July 2025)
1 May 2025United States: Executive Order 14290 directing an end to federal funding for NPR and PBS, May 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpUnknown
25 April 2025United States: Department of Justice rescission of rules limiting subpoenas of journalists, April 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasDonald TrumpSustained (25 April 2025)
22 April 202560 Minutes executive producer resigns, citing lost editorial independenceUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpSustained (22 April 2025)
22 January 2025FCC chair reopens 'news distortion' complaints against CBS and NBCUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpOngoing
16 December 2024Trump sues Des Moines Register and pollster Ann Selzer over final Iowa pollUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Lawsuits against the pressDonald TrumpOngoing (10 July 2026)
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)
12 April 1971United States police search a student newspaper's offices for photographs of a protestUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasRonald ReaganUpheld by a court (31 May 1978)
28 September 1959Cuba: Prime Minister Fidel Castro publicly criticizes Havana newspapers that questioned his government, September 1959Cuba (RSF rank: not recorded)Official labelsFidel CastroSustained (11 May 1960)
1953United States: Senator Joseph McCarthy's subcommittee questions New York Post editor James Wechsler, 1953United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasDwight D. EisenhowerUnknown
August 1942United States: Justice Department investigates the Chicago Tribune under the Espionage Act over Battle of Midway coverageUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsFranklin D. RooseveltReversed (1 August 1942)
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)
12 July 1934United States: Louisiana taxes large newspapers' advertising revenue; the tax is struck down in Grosjean v. American Press Co.United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureOscar K. AllenReversed (10 February 1936)
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