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: prior restraint, 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 180Australia, RSF 2026 rank: 33rd of 180Brazil, RSF 2026 rank: 52nd of 180Czechia, RSF 2026 rank: 11th of 180India, RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180Philippines, RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180Portugal, RSF 2026 rank: 10th of 180South Africa, RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180Spain, RSF 2026 rank: 29th of 180United Kingdom, RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180United States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180
ContinentAfricaAsiaEuropeNorth AmericaSouth AmericaOceania
TacticPrior restraint 16Licensing and closure of outlets 4Detention and violence 3Shutdowns and blocking 3Official labels 1Secrets and espionage laws 1Credential control 1Insult and defamation laws 1
StagePressure 1Silence 14Eliminate 1
OutcomeReversed 16
LevelNational 13State or province 2Municipal 1
Head of governmentAlexander DubčekAntónio de Oliveira SalazarDaniel François MalanEdward HeathEurith D. RiversFerdinand MarcosFrancisco FrancoGetúlio VargasIndira GandhiJ. James ExonJohn CurtinJorge Rafael VidelaMargaret ThatcherNarendra ModiRichard NixonTheodore Christianson

16 incidents match this view.

TableCardsCSVJSONMarkdown
DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
March 2024Bombay High Court strikes down India's government 'fact check unit' ruleIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Official labelsNarendra ModiReversed (20 September 2024)
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)
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)
27 October 1975United States judge bars the press from reporting a murder suspect's confession before trialUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Prior restraintJ. James ExonReversed (30 June 1976)
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 November 1972United Kingdom court bars The Sunday Times from publishing an article on thalidomideUnited Kingdom (RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180)Prior restraintEdward HeathReversed (26 April 1979)
21 September 1972Philippines President Marcos closes every major news outlet under martial lawPhilippines (RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingFerdinand MarcosReversed (25 February 1986)
15 June 1971United States government seeks an injunction to stop The New York Times publishing the Pentagon PapersUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Prior restraintRichard NixonReversed (30 June 1971)
21 August 1968Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia is followed by the return of government press controlsCzechia (RSF 2026 rank: 11th of 180)Prior restraintAlexander DubčekReversed (1 November 1989)
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)
16 April 1944Australia's wartime government seizes a Sydney newspaper edition under press controls rulesAustralia (RSF 2026 rank: 33rd of 180)Prior restraintJohn CurtinReversed (18 April 1944)
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)
April 1938Franco's Spain requires state permission to be a journalist under a wartime Press LawSpain (RSF 2026 rank: 29th of 180)Credential controlFrancisco FrancoReversed (1 April 1977)
28 March 1938United States: Supreme Court strikes down a Georgia city's permit requirement for distributing literature, 1938United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Prior restraintEurith D. RiversReversed (28 March 1938)
1933Portugal's Salazar government formally establishes press controls under a new constitutionPortugal (RSF 2026 rank: 10th of 180)Prior restraintAntónio de Oliveira SalazarReversed (25 April 1974)
1927Minnesota closes The Saturday Press in 1927; the Supreme Court strikes down the law in 1931United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Prior restraintTheodore ChristiansonReversed (1 June 1931)
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