{ "title": "Ladder: licensing and closure of outlets, in Africa", "canonical_url": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/outlet_licensing?continent=africa", "filters": { "continent": "africa" }, "counts_caveat": "The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.", "tactic": { "slug": "outlet_licensing", "name": "Licensing and closure of outlets", "definition": "A government requires newspapers, broadcasters or news websites to register or to hold a licence, and uses that power to refuse, suspend or cancel it, or to close the outlet. Broadcast licences, which governments issue because radio and television frequencies are limited, are a common lever.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/outlet_licensing" }, "focal_case": "US", "count": 7, "stages": [ { "stage": "pressure", "name": "Pressure", "definition": "Using state power short of prosecution to change coverage: regulatory threats, licence reviews, funding cuts, lawsuits by officials, official \"fake news\" or \"foreign agent\" labels, advertising pressure, tax audits.", "rungs": [ { "slug": "2002-zimbabwe-aippa-media-licensing", "title": "Zimbabwe enacts a law requiring all journalists and media houses to hold government licenses", "occurred_on": "2002-03-15", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "pressure", "focal_case": false, "country": "ZW", "country_name": "Zimbabwe", "continent": "africa", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 124, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "robert-mugabe", "leader_name": "Robert Mugabe", "what_was_done": "Zimbabwe's parliament passed the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), requiring every journalist and media company to obtain a government license renewed every two years, weeks before a closely contested 2002 presidential election.", "outcome": "unknown", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "The record reviewed documents a 2007 amendment easing individual accreditation but does not establish to day precision when AIPPA's licensing framework was repealed.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 1, "tactic_primary": "outlet_licensing", "tactics": [ "outlet_licensing" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2002-zimbabwe-aippa-media-licensing" }, { "slug": "2018-tanzania-online-content-regulations", "title": "Tanzania requires bloggers and online publishers to register and pay an annual government fee", "occurred_on": "2018-03-16", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "pressure", "focal_case": false, "country": "TZ", "country_name": "Tanzania", "continent": "africa", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 117, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 117th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "john-magufuli", "leader_name": "John Magufuli", "what_was_done": "Tanzania's government, under President John Magufuli, issued regulations requiring anyone running a blog or website with user content to register with the telecoms regulator and pay an annual fee reported at roughly $930, with vaguely worded content bans.", "outcome": "unknown", "outcome_on": "2018-04-12", "outcome_note": "A court granted media and rights groups an injunction against the fee in April 2018 while their challenge proceeded; the sources reviewed do not establish the challenge's final outcome.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 2, "tactic_primary": "outlet_licensing", "tactics": [ "funding_and_ownership_pressure", "outlet_licensing" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2018-tanzania-online-content-regulations" } ] }, { "stage": "punish", "name": "Punish", "definition": "Legal or physical action against individual journalists or sources: subpoenas and record seizures, prosecutions, arrests, detention, expulsions, visa denials, assault where a government actor is involved.", "rungs": [ { "slug": "2025-ethiopia-arrests-journalists-sheger-fm", "title": "Ethiopia arrests at least six journalists including Sheger FM staff over election-year coverage", "occurred_on": "2025-09-03", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "punish", "focal_case": false, "country": "ET", "country_name": "Ethiopia", "continent": "africa", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 148, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 148th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "abiy-ahmed", "leader_name": "Abiy Ahmed", "what_was_done": "Ethiopian authorities arrested at least six journalists between August and September 2025, including three from Sheger FM after the Ethiopian Media Authority ordered the station to delete a broadcast it accused of bias and inciting violence, ahead of national elections scheduled for 2026.", "outcome": "ongoing", "outcome_on": "2025-09-22", "outcome_note": "Some journalists were granted bail while an appeal proceeded; the media authority's order against Sheger FM remained in force.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 1, "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "outlet_licensing" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-ethiopia-arrests-journalists-sheger-fm" } ] }, { "stage": "silence", "name": "Silence", "definition": "Removing outlets or channels from the public sphere: closures, licence withdrawals, forced sales, blocking and shutdowns, prior restraint, nationalisation.", "rungs": [ { "slug": "1950-south-africa-suppression-of-communism-act", "title": "South Africa's Suppression of Communism Act lets the government ban publications and restrict individuals", "occurred_on": "1950-07-17", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "silence", "focal_case": false, "country": "ZA", "country_name": "South Africa", "continent": "africa", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 21, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "daniel-francois-malan", "leader_name": "Daniel François Malan", "what_was_done": "Under Prime Minister Daniel François Malan, South Africa's parliament approved the Suppression of Communism Act in 1950, defining communism broadly enough to cover most opposition to apartheid.", "outcome": "reversed", "outcome_on": "1991-07-31", "outcome_note": "The \"Internal Security and Intimidation Amendment Act\" repealed section 55 of the Suppression of Communism Act, which had prohibited furthering the aims of communism, on July 31, 1991; broader banning orders under the act and its successors had already been lifted the year before, in February 1990.{c:731}", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 4, "tactic_primary": "prior_restraint", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "outlet_licensing", "prior_restraint" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1950-south-africa-suppression-of-communism-act" }, { "slug": "1960-egypt-nasser-nationalizes-press", "title": "Egypt's Nasser government nationalizes every newspaper and magazine in the country", "occurred_on": "1960-05-24", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "silence", "focal_case": false, "country": "EG", "country_name": "Egypt", "continent": "africa", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 169, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 169th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "gamal-abdel-nasser", "leader_name": "Gamal Abdel Nasser", "what_was_done": "President Gamal Abdel Nasser's government issued a decree on May 24, 1960 placing every newspaper and magazine in Egypt under state ownership and management, with the government appointing editors and deciding content, ending private control of the country's press.", "outcome": "ongoing", "outcome_on": "1989-01-01", "outcome_note": "State ownership structures created by the 1960 decree, including the government-appointed leadership of major papers such as Al-Ahram, remained in place through the 1980s.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 2, "tactic_primary": "funding_and_ownership_pressure", "tactics": [ "funding_and_ownership_pressure", "outlet_licensing" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1960-egypt-nasser-nationalizes-press" }, { "slug": "1977-south-africa-world-newspaper-banned-qoboza-detained", "title": "South Africa bans The World and Weekend World newspapers and detains editor Percy Qoboza", "occurred_on": "1977-10-19", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "silence", "focal_case": false, "country": "ZA", "country_name": "South Africa", "continent": "africa", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 21, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "john-vorster", "leader_name": "Balthazar Johannes Vorster", "what_was_done": "On October 19, 1977, a day South Africans came to call Black Wednesday, the government banned the newspapers The World and Weekend World and had the Special Branch police arrest editor Percy Qoboza and deputy editor Aggrey Klaaste.", "outcome": "sustained", "outcome_on": "1978-03-01", "outcome_note": "Qoboza was released from detention in March 1978 after international pressure, but The World did not resume publication.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 4, "tactic_primary": "outlet_licensing", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "outlet_licensing" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1977-south-africa-world-newspaper-banned-qoboza-detained" }, { "slug": "2003-zimbabwe-daily-news-shut-down", "title": "Zimbabwe: police close the Daily News under the media registration law", "occurred_on": "2003-09-12", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "silence", "focal_case": false, "country": "ZW", "country_name": "Zimbabwe", "continent": "africa", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 124, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "robert-mugabe", "leader_name": "Robert Mugabe", "what_was_done": "Zimbabwe's Supreme Court ruled the Daily News, the country's largest independent newspaper, was operating unregistered under a 2002 media law, and police shut its offices the next day; the paper stayed closed for nearly seven years.", "outcome": "reversed", "outcome_on": "2010-05-27", "outcome_note": "Zimbabwe's Media Commission granted the Daily News a new publishing license on May 27, 2010, nearly seven years after the closure.", "ladder_note": "The country's largest independent newspaper was shut by police and kept off newsstands for nearly seven years, not a temporary suspension or fine.", "sources_count": 3, "tactic_primary": "outlet_licensing", "tactics": [ "outlet_licensing" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2003-zimbabwe-daily-news-shut-down" } ] } ], "downloads": { "csv": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/outlet_licensing?continent=africa&format=csv", "json": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/outlet_licensing.json?continent=africa", "md": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/outlet_licensing.md?continent=africa" }, "license": { "name": "CC BY 4.0", "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" } }