The War On News

How governments have limited journalists, 1900 to today.

Search in North America

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

61 incidents match this view. Showing 11 on page 2 of 2.

Country: Canada, RSF 2026 rank: 20th of 180 El Salvador, RSF 2026 rank: 143rd of 180 Guatemala, RSF 2026 rank: 128th of 180 Haiti, RSF 2026 rank: 107th of 180 Nicaragua, RSF 2026 rank: 168th of 180 United States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180

Continent: North America

Tactic: Access bans (20) Surveillance and subpoenas (14) Detention and violence (11) Secrets and espionage laws (11) Funding and ownership pressure (10) Credential control (6) Prior restraint (6) Lawsuits against the press (5) Official labels (2) Expulsion and visa denial (2) Shutdowns and blocking (2) Licensing and closure of outlets (1)

Stage: Restrict (19) Pressure (16) Punish (18) Silence (5) Eliminate (3)

Outcome: Reversed (18) Sustained (18) Ongoing (13) Unknown (7) Upheld by a court (5)

Level: National (51) State or province (7) Municipal (3)

Head of government: Alejandro Giammattei Barack Obama Daniel Ortega Donald Trump Doug Ducey Dwight D. Eisenhower Franklin D. Roosevelt George H. W. Bush George W. Bush Jacob Frey Jean-Claude Duvalier Jeff Landry Joe Biden John Horgan Karen Bass Laura Kelly Nayib Bukele Richard Nixon Ron DeSantis Ronald Reagan Theodore Christianson Tim Walz Woodrow Wilson

DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
October 25, 1983United States military bars journalists from the invasion of GrenadaUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansRonald ReaganReversed (April 1, 1985)
1981Haiti's Duvalier government arrests and deports Radio Haiti-Inter staff, driving its director into exileHaiti (RSF 2026 rank: 107th of 180)Expulsion and visa denialJean-Claude DuvalierReversed (February 1, 1986)
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)
June 15, 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 (June 30, 1971)
1969United States Supreme Court rules reporters have no privilege to refuse grand jury subpoenasUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasRichard NixonUpheld by a court (June 29, 1972)
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 (December 1, 1956)
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)
1927United States Supreme Court strikes down a Minnesota law used to shut a newspaperUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Prior restraintTheodore ChristiansonReversed (June 1, 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 (November 1, 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 (March 7, 1921)
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