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: licensing and closure of outlets, national level, outcome reversed

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
CountryBrazil, RSF 2026 rank: 52nd of 180Germany, RSF 2026 rank: 14th of 180India, RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180South Africa, RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180South Korea, RSF 2026 rank: 47th of 180United Kingdom, RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180United States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180Zimbabwe, RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180
ContinentAfricaAsiaEuropeNorth AmericaSouth America
TacticLicensing and closure of outlets 8Prior restraint 4Detention and violence 2Funding and ownership pressure 1Credential control 1
StagePressure 1Silence 7
OutcomeReversed 8
LevelNational 8
Head of governmentAdolf HitlerChun Doo-hwanDaniel François MalanDonald TrumpGetúlio VargasIndira GandhiMargaret ThatcherRobert Mugabe

8 incidents match this view.

TableCardsCSVJSONMarkdown
DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
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)
12 September 2003Zimbabwe: police close the Daily News under the media registration lawZimbabwe (RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsRobert MugabeReversed (27 May 2010)
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)
31 July 1980South Korea's martial-law government purges journalists who resisted press controlsSouth Korea (RSF 2026 rank: 47th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsChun Doo-hwanReversed (1 June 1987)
26 June 1975India imposes pre-press controls on every newspaper during the 1975 EmergencyIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Prior restraintIndira GandhiReversed (21 March 1977)
17 July 1950South Africa's Suppression of Communism Act lets the government ban publications and restrict individualsSouth Africa (RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180)Prior restraintDaniel François MalanReversed (31 July 1991)
1939Brazil's Vargas government creates a state messaging department with broad press powersBrazil (RSF 2026 rank: 52nd of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsGetúlio VargasReversed (1 January 1945)
4 October 1933Nazi Germany's Editors Law bars Jewish journalists, 1933Germany (RSF 2026 rank: 14th of 180)Credential controlAdolf HitlerReversed (8 May 1945)
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