The War On News

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

Search in the United States, stage: silence

The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.

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CountryUnited States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180
ContinentNorth America
TacticSecrets and espionage laws 3Prior restraint 2Shutdowns and blocking 2Funding and ownership pressure 1
StageSilence 5
OutcomeReversed 2Upheld by a court 2Ongoing 1
LevelNational 4State or province 1
Head of governmentDonald TrumpRichard NixonTheodore ChristiansonWoodrow Wilson

5 incidents match this view.

TableCardsCSVJSONMarkdown
DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
15 March 2025United States: U.S. Agency for Global Media action to shut down Voice of America operations, March 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpOngoing (28 March 2025)
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)
1927United States Supreme Court strikes down a Minnesota law used to shut a newspaperUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Prior restraintTheodore ChristiansonReversed (1 June 1931)
July 1917United States postmaster bars the magazine The Masses from the mail under the Espionage ActUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsWoodrow WilsonUpheld by a court (1 November 1917)
1917United States Postmaster General Burleson strips the Milwaukee Leader of its mailing rateUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingWoodrow WilsonUpheld by a court (7 March 1921)
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