The War On News

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

The record

Incidents, stage: eliminate, 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
CountryArgentina, RSF 2026 rank: 98th of 180AzerbaijanBelarus, RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180Haiti, RSF 2026 rank: 107th of 180Myanmar, RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180Nigeria, RSF 2026 rank: 112th of 180North KoreaRussia, RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180
ContinentAfricaAsiaEuropeNorth AmericaSouth America
TacticDetention and violence 7Secrets and espionage laws 3Insult and defamation laws 1Expulsion and visa denial 1Prior restraint 1
StageEliminate 9
OutcomeReversed 9
LevelNational 9
Head of governmentAlexander LukashenkoAung San Suu KyiIlham AliyevJean-Claude DuvalierJorge Rafael VidelaKim Jong IlSani AbachaVladimir Putin

9 incidents match this view.

TableCardsCSVJSONMarkdown
DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
29 March 2023Russia: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich sentenced to 16 yearsRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Detention and violenceVladimir PutinReversed (1 August 2024)
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)
3 September 2018Myanmar sentences two Reuters journalists to seven years under the Official Secrets Act for reporting on a massacreMyanmar (RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsAung San Suu KyiReversed (7 May 2019)
1 September 2015Azerbaijan: investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova sentenced to 7.5 yearsAzerbaijan (RSF rank: not recorded)Detention and violenceIlham AliyevReversed (25 May 2016)
8 June 2009North Korea: American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee are sentenced to hard laborNorth Korea (RSF rank: not recorded)Secrets and espionage lawsKim Jong IlReversed (4 August 2009)
July 1995Nigeria's military government convicts journalists by special tribunal over coup-plot reportingNigeria (RSF 2026 rank: 112th of 180)Detention and violenceSani AbachaReversed (15 June 1998)
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)
24 March 1976Argentina's military junta threatens journalists with prison for reporting on its opponentsArgentina (RSF 2026 rank: 98th of 180)Detention and violenceJorge Rafael VidelaReversed (10 December 1983)
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