The War On News

How governments have limited journalists, 1900 to today.

Search in North America, stage: pressure, national level

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

16 incidents match this view.

Country: El Salvador, RSF 2026 rank: 143rd of 180 United States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180

Continent: North America

Tactic: Funding and ownership pressure (9) Lawsuits against the press (5) Surveillance and subpoenas (3) Licensing and closure of outlets (1) Official labels (1) Prior restraint (1) Secrets and espionage laws (1)

Stage: Pressure (16)

Outcome: Sustained (7) Ongoing (5) Reversed (2) Unknown (2)

Level: National (16)

Head of government: Donald Trump Franklin D. Roosevelt Nayib Bukele Richard Nixon

DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
April 28, 2026Appeals court orders FCC to respond to challenge over 'news distortion' policyUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpOngoing (April 28, 2026)
April 2026El Salvador: freeze on assets of shareholders in El Faro's parent company, February to April 2026El Salvador (RSF 2026 rank: 143rd of 180)Funding and ownership pressureNayib BukeleSustained (May 8, 2026)
September 17, 2025United States: Federal Communications Commission chairman's remarks and the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, September 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpReversed (September 23, 2025)
September 15, 2025Trump files, then refiles, $15 billion defamation suit against the New York TimesUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Lawsuits against the pressDonald TrumpOngoing (October 16, 2025)
July 24, 2025FCC approves Paramount-Skydance merger after CBS ombudsman and anti-DEI pledgesUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpSustained (July 24, 2025)
July 18, 2025Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over Epstein birthday letter storyUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Lawsuits against the pressDonald TrumpOngoing
July 18, 2025Congress cuts $1.1 billion in federal funding for public broadcastingUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpSustained (July 24, 2025)
July 1, 2025United States: Paramount settlement of Donald Trump's lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview, July 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Lawsuits against the pressDonald TrumpSustained (July 1, 2025)
May 1, 2025United States: Executive Order 14290 directing an end to federal funding for NPR and PBS, May 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpUnknown
April 25, 2025United States: Department of Justice rescission of rules limiting subpoenas of journalists, April 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasDonald TrumpSustained (April 25, 2025)
April 22, 202560 Minutes executive producer resigns, citing lost editorial independenceUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpSustained (April 22, 2025)
January 22, 2025FCC chair reopens 'news distortion' complaints against CBS and NBCUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpOngoing
December 16, 2024Trump sues Des Moines Register and pollster Ann Selzer over final Iowa pollUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Lawsuits against the pressDonald TrumpOngoing (July 10, 2026)
September 9, 1971United States: Nixon White House "enemies list" naming journalists, September 1971United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasRichard NixonUnknown
August 16, 1971Nixon White House compiles an enemies list naming journalists for official pressureUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasRichard NixonReversed (June 27, 1973)
December 19, 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 (September 28, 1945)
Download this view

CSV, JSON or Markdown. CC BY 4.0; credit "The War On News, thewaronnews.com".

CSVJSONMarkdown