The War On News

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

The record

Incidents, 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
CountryArgentina, RSF 2026 rank: 98th of 180Australia, RSF 2026 rank: 33rd of 180AzerbaijanBangladesh, RSF 2026 rank: 152nd of 180Belarus, RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180Brazil, RSF 2026 rank: 52nd of 180Cambodia, RSF 2026 rank: 151st of 180Chile, RSF 2026 rank: 70th of 180China, RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180Czechia, RSF 2026 rank: 11th of 180Ecuador, RSF 2026 rank: 125th of 180Egypt, RSF 2026 rank: 169th of 180El Salvador, RSF 2026 rank: 143rd of 180EritreaEthiopia, RSF 2026 rank: 148th of 180Georgia, RSF 2026 rank: 135th of 180Germany, RSF 2026 rank: 14th of 180Guatemala, RSF 2026 rank: 128th of 180Haiti, RSF 2026 rank: 107th of 180Hong Kong, RSF 2026 rank: 140th of 180Hungary, RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180India, RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180Iran, RSF 2026 rank: 177th of 180Israel, RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180KazakhstanMalaysia, RSF 2026 rank: 95th of 180MaltaMexicoMoroccoMyanmar, RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180Nicaragua, RSF 2026 rank: 168th of 180Nigeria, RSF 2026 rank: 112th of 180North KoreaPakistan, RSF 2026 rank: 153rd of 180Philippines, RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180Poland, RSF 2026 rank: 27th of 180Portugal, RSF 2026 rank: 10th of 180Russia, RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180Saudi Arabia, RSF 2026 rank: 176th of 180Serbia, RSF 2026 rank: 104th of 180Slovakia, RSF 2026 rank: 37th of 180South Africa, RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180South Korea, RSF 2026 rank: 47th of 180Spain, RSF 2026 rank: 29th of 180Tanzania, RSF 2026 rank: 117th of 180ThailandTunisia, RSF 2026 rank: 137th of 180Türkiye, RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180United Kingdom, RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180United States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180Venezuela, RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180Viet NamZimbabwe, RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180

177 incidents match this view. Showing 50 on page 2 of 4.

DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
15 February 2023Russia: journalist Maria Ponomarenko is sentenced to six years for reporting on a Mariupol strikeRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Insult and defamation lawsVladimir PutinSustained (15 February 2023)
15 February 2023Nicaragua strips 94 political opponents, including journalists, of citizenshipNicaragua (RSF 2026 rank: 168th of 180)Expulsion and visa denialDaniel OrtegaSustained
14 February 2023Indian tax authorities search BBC offices weeks after Modi documentary banIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasNarendra ModiUnknown
13 February 2023Cambodia: Prime Minister Hun Sen orders Voice of Democracy's license revoked over one articleCambodia (RSF 2026 rank: 151st of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsHun SenSustained (13 February 2023)
8 February 2023Belarus: journalist Andrzej Poczobut sentenced to eight yearsBelarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180)Detention and violenceAlexander LukashenkoReversed (28 April 2026)
8 February 2023Belarus: journalist Andrzej Poczobut is sentenced to eight years for inciting hatredBelarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180)Insult and defamation lawsAlexander LukashenkoReversed (28 April 2026)
5 September 2022Russia: journalist Ivan Safronov is sentenced to 22 years for treasonRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsVladimir PutinOngoing (5 September 2022)
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)
16 June 2022Russia: entry bans, visa restrictions and bureau closures for foreign correspondentsRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Access bansVladimir PutinSustained (16 June 2022)
18 May 2022Russia: CBC/Radio-Canada bureau closed and journalists' visas cancelledRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Expulsion and visa denialVladimir PutinSustained (18 May 2022)
13 May 2022Ethiopia: Economist correspondent Tom Gardner expelledEthiopia (RSF 2026 rank: 148th of 180)Expulsion and visa denialAbiy AhmedSustained (13 May 2022)
9 March 2022Belarus: Deutsche Welle and other outlets labeled 'extremist'Belarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180)Official labelsAlexander LukashenkoSustained (9 March 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)
4 March 2022Russia criminalizes 'fake' reporting on the military, up to 15 years in prisonRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Insult and defamation lawsVladimir PutinSustained
22 January 2022Turkiye: journalist Sedef Kabas is arrested for a proverb about President ErdoganTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Insult and defamation lawsRecep Tayyip ErdoğanOngoing (22 June 2023)
14 January 2022Turkiye: journalist Sedef Kabas tried for insulting the presidentTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Lawsuits against the pressRecep Tayyip ErdoğanOngoing (22 June 2023)
14 December 2021Vietnam: journalist Pham Doan Trang is sentenced to nine years for anti-state "propaganda"Viet Nam (RSF rank: not recorded)Secrets and espionage lawsNguyen Xuan PhucSustained (14 December 2021)
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)
July 2021Hungary: investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi's phone is infected with Pegasus spywareHungary (RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasViktor OrbanOngoing (1 July 2021)
24 June 2021China (Hong Kong): Apple Daily closes after its assets are frozen under the national security lawHong Kong (RSF 2026 rank: 140th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsCarrie LamSustained (24 June 2021)
18 May 2021Belarus blocks Tut.by and arrests its editors as 'extremist'Belarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingAlexander LukashenkoSustained
23 April 2021Russia: independent outlet Meduza designated a 'foreign agent'Russia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Official labelsVladimir PutinSustained (23 April 2021)
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)
1 April 2021Turkiye: the presidency's press card system is found restrictive by the country's top administrative courtTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Credential controlRecep Tayyip ErdoğanReversed (1 April 2021)
8 March 2021Myanmar junta revokes five outlets' licenses and raids newsrooms after coupMyanmar (RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsMin Aung HlaingSustained
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)
February 2021Myanmar: military cuts mobile internet after seizing powerMyanmar (RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingMin Aung HlaingOngoing (3 May 2021)
12 September 2020Political appointees alter CDC coronavirus guidance before public releaseUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Prior restraintDonald TrumpUnknown
29 August 2020Belarus: accreditation withdrawn from 17 journalists working for foreign outletsBelarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180)Access bansAlexander LukashenkoSustained (29 August 2020)
24 July 2020Hungary: editor fired and staff resign at Index.huHungary (RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureViktor OrbanSustained (24 July 2020)
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)
5 July 2020Morocco: investigative journalist Omar Radi's phone is infected with Pegasus spyware and he is later detainedMorocco (RSF rank: not recorded)Surveillance and subpoenasSaadeddine OthmaniReversed (1 July 2024)
15 June 2020Philippines: Maria Ressa convicted of cyber libelPhilippines (RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180)Lawsuits against the pressRodrigo DuterteOngoing (15 June 2020)
14 May 2020China: citizen journalist Zhang Zhan imprisoned for Wuhan reportingChina (RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180)Detention and violenceXi JinpingOngoing
15 April 2020Australia's High Court invalidates warrant for raid on journalist Annika SmethurstAustralia (RSF 2026 rank: 33rd of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasScott MorrisonReversed (27 May 2020)
30 March 2020Hungary criminalizes false coronavirus information and grants Orban decree powersHungary (RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180)Insult and defamation lawsViktor OrbanUnknown
18 March 2020China: press credentials and visas withheld from correspondents at three American newspapersChina (RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180)Credential controlXi JinpingSustained (3 March 2021)
17 March 2020China expels American journalists from three major U.S. newspapersChina (RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180)Expulsion and visa denialXi JinpingSustained
19 February 2020China: three Wall Street Journal correspondents expelled over an opinion headlineChina (RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180)Access bansXi JinpingSustained (19 February 2020)
16 November 2019Iran: near-total internet shutdown during fuel-price protestsIran (RSF 2026 rank: 177th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingHassan RouhaniReversed (23 November 2019)
7 November 2019India: journalist Aatish Taseer's overseas citizenship revokedIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Expulsion and visa denialNarendra ModiSustained (7 November 2019)
5 August 2019India imposes a communications blackout in Jammu and Kashmir after revoking the region's special statusIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingNarendra ModiOngoing (5 August 2020)
5 June 2019Australian Federal Police raid the national broadcaster over reporting on alleged war crimes in AfghanistanAustralia (RSF 2026 rank: 33rd of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasScott MorrisonReversed (15 October 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)
22 March 2019Egypt: media law used to fine and block news site al-MashhadEgypt (RSF 2026 rank: 169th of 180)Official labelsAbdel Fattah el-SisiUnknown (7 May 2019)
7 March 2019Russia: new laws penalize online "fake news" and "disrespecting authorities"Russia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Official labelsVladimir PutinSustained (7 March 2019)
13 February 2019Philippines: Rappler's Maria Ressa arrested over cyber libel casePhilippines (RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180)Detention and violenceRodrigo DuterteReversed (14 February 2019)
17 January 2019Turkiye: Dutch freelance journalist Ans Boersma deportedTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Expulsion and visa denialRecep Tayyip ErdoğanSustained (17 January 2019)
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)
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