The War On News

A record of government actions against journalism and fact-based reporting, from the first press laws to today

Search in the United States, national level

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
CountryUnited States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180
ContinentNorth America
TacticAccess bans 15Surveillance and subpoenas 14Secrets and espionage laws 14Funding and ownership pressure 9Credential control 6Prior restraint 6Lawsuits against the press 6Detention and violence 6Shutdowns and blocking 3Licensing and closure of outlets 1Official labels 1Expulsion and visa denial 1Insult and defamation laws 1
StageRestrict 15Pressure 17Punish 18Silence 5
OutcomeReversed 14Sustained 14Ongoing 11Upheld by a court 9Unknown 7
LevelNational 55
Head of governmentBarack ObamaDonald TrumpDwight D. EisenhowerFranklin D. RooseveltGeorge H. W. BushGeorge W. BushJoe BidenRichard NixonRonald ReaganTheodore RooseveltWoodrow Wilson

55 incidents match this view. Showing 5 on page 2 of 2.

TableCardsCSVJSONMarkdown
DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
26 June 1918United States convicts newspaper editor Jacob Frohwerk under the Espionage Act, June 1918United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsWoodrow WilsonUpheld by a court (10 March 1919)
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 convicts Mother Earth editor Emma Goldman of draft conspiracy and bars her magazine from the mailUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Detention and violenceWoodrow WilsonUpheld by a court (14 January 1918)
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)
4 March 1909United States: President Theodore Roosevelt seeks criminal libel indictments against the New York World and the Indianapolis News over Panama Canal reportingUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Insult and defamation lawsTheodore RooseveltReversed (3 January 1911)
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