The War On News

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

The record

Incidents in the United States, stage: punish, 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
CountryUnited States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180
ContinentNorth America
TacticSurveillance and subpoenas 10Secrets and espionage laws 7Detention and violence 3Access bans 1
StagePunish 14
OutcomeReversed 6Sustained 3Upheld by a court 3Unknown 2
LevelNational 14
Head of governmentBarack ObamaDonald TrumpDwight D. EisenhowerGeorge W. BushJoe BidenRichard Nixon

14 incidents match this view.

TableCardsCSVJSONMarkdown
DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
10 July 2026Customs officers seize Grayzone editor's phones at Virginia airport over Iran reportingUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasDonald TrumpReversed (17 July 2026)
6 November 2021FBI raids Project Veritas founder's home over Ashley Biden diary investigationUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasJoe BidenUnknown
19 July 2021Justice Department bars seizing reporters' phone and email recordsUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasJoe BidenReversed (25 April 2025)
23 July 2020Federal officers restrict press access to Portland protests; judge orders them to stopUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpReversed (23 July 2020)
23 May 2019United States indicts WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange under the Espionage ActUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsDonald TrumpReversed (25 June 2024)
17 October 2014United States pursues New York Times reporter James Risen's testimony for years before dropping its demand for his sourceUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasBarack ObamaReversed (17 October 2014)
10 October 2013United States: Espionage Act prosecutions of sources for leaks to the press, 2009 to 2013United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsBarack ObamaUnknown
20 May 2013United States search warrant names Fox News reporter James Rosen a possible co-conspirator in a leak caseUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasBarack ObamaSustained (12 July 2013)
13 May 2013United States Justice Department secretly seizes two months of Associated Press phone recordsUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasBarack ObamaSustained (12 July 2013)
25 January 2013United States prosecutes former CIA officer John Kiriakou under the Espionage Act for identifying a covert colleague to a journalistUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsBarack ObamaUpheld by a court (3 February 2015)
5 July 2010United States charges Army analyst Chelsea Manning under the Espionage Act for leaking to WikiLeaksUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsBarack ObamaReversed (17 January 2017)
6 July 2005New York Times reporter Judith Miller jailed for refusing to name a confidential source in the Valerie Plame affairUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasGeorge W. BushUpheld by a court (29 September 2005)
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)
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