The War On News

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

The record

Incidents, outcome sustained

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 180Belarus, RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180Cambodia, RSF 2026 rank: 151st of 180Chile, RSF 2026 rank: 70th of 180China, RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180El Salvador, RSF 2026 rank: 143rd of 180Ethiopia, RSF 2026 rank: 148th of 180Georgia, RSF 2026 rank: 135th of 180Hong Kong, RSF 2026 rank: 140th of 180Hungary, RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180India, RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180Israel, RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180Myanmar, RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180Nicaragua, RSF 2026 rank: 168th of 180Pakistan, RSF 2026 rank: 153rd of 180Poland, RSF 2026 rank: 27th of 180Russia, RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180Slovakia, RSF 2026 rank: 37th of 180Tunisia, RSF 2026 rank: 137th of 180Türkiye, RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180United States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180Venezuela, RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180Viet NamZimbabwe, RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180
ContinentAfricaAsiaEuropeNorth AmericaSouth America
TacticFunding and ownership pressure 17Licensing and closure of outlets 13Access bans 11Expulsion and visa denial 10Official labels 8Detention and violence 8Secrets and espionage laws 5Shutdowns and blocking 5Surveillance and subpoenas 4Insult and defamation laws 4Credential control 3Prior restraint 3Lawsuits against the press 2
StageRestrict 7Pressure 18Punish 20Silence 16Eliminate 4
OutcomeSustained 65
LevelNational 62State or province 2Municipal 1
Head of governmentAbiy AhmedAlexander LukashenkoAugusto PinochetBarack ObamaBeata SzydloCarrie LamDaniel OrtegaDonald TrumpDwight D. EisenhowerEmmerson MnangagwaFranklin D. RooseveltGeorge H. W. BushGeorge W. BushHugo ChavezHun SenIrakli KobakhidzeJacob FreyJavier MileiJohn LeeKais SaiedLi PengMateusz MorawieckiMin Aung HlaingNarendra ModiNayib BukeleNguyen Tan DungNguyen Xuan PhucNicolas MaduroRecep Tayyip ErdoğanRobert FicoRon DeSantisShehbaz SharifViktor OrbanVladimir PutinXi Jinping

65 incidents match this view. Showing 15 on page 2 of 2.

TableCardsCSVJSONMarkdown
DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
27 July 2016Turkey closes more than 100 media outlets by decree after a failed coup attemptTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsRecep Tayyip ErdoğanSustained (31 December 2016)
4 March 2016Turkiye: court installs trustees at Zaman newspaperTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Funding and ownership pressureRecep Tayyip ErdoğanSustained (4 March 2016)
31 December 2015Poland's new government gains power to replace public broadcaster leadership, and journalists are dismissedPoland (RSF 2026 rank: 27th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureBeata SzydloSustained (31 December 2019)
September 2013Vietnam: Decree 72 restricts blogs to personal informationViet Nam (RSF rank: not recorded)Official labelsNguyen Tan DungSustained (1 September 2013)
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)
21 December 2010Hungary's parliament gives a government-appointed media council power to fine outlets for unbalanced coverageHungary (RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureViktor OrbanSustained (1 January 2011)
27 May 2007Venezuela: the government declines to renew RCTV's broadcast concessionVenezuela (RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsHugo ChavezSustained (8 September 2015)
10 February 2003Pentagon sets ground rules for journalists embedded with United States forces in IraqUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansGeorge W. BushSustained (14 April 2003)
14 April 2001State-controlled Gazprom takes formal control of Russia's independent NTV television networkRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Funding and ownership pressureVladimir PutinSustained (14 April 2001)
17 January 1991United States military restricts reporters to escorted press pools during the Gulf WarUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansGeorge H. W. BushSustained (28 February 1991)
14 June 1989China expels foreign journalists and restricts coverage of the Tiananmen Square protestsChina (RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180)Expulsion and visa denialLi PengSustained (1 January 1990)
11 September 1973Chile's military government shuts opposition radio stations and newspapers after the 1973 coupChile (RSF 2026 rank: 70th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingAugusto PinochetSustained (1 March 1990)
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)
19 December 1941United States creates an Office of Censorship and a wartime code for the pressUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Prior restraintFranklin D. RooseveltSustained (28 September 1945)
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