The War On News

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

Search: licensing and closure of outlets, 1900 to 1949

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
CountryBrazil, RSF 2026 rank: 52nd of 180Canada, RSF 2026 rank: 20th of 180Germany, RSF 2026 rank: 14th of 180GreeceIndonesiaRussia, RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180Türkiye, RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180
ContinentAsiaEuropeNorth AmericaSouth America
TacticLicensing and closure of outlets 8Prior restraint 4Detention and violence 2Credential control 1Secrets and espionage laws 1
StageSilence 8
OutcomeSustained 5Reversed 2Ongoing 1
LevelNational 8
Head of governmentAdolf HitlerAndries Cornelis Dirk de GraeffGeorgios TsolakoglouGetúlio VargasMehmed VVladimir LeninWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King

8 incidents match this view.

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DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
8 May 1941Greece: collaborationist government creates a Directorate-General for Press and Radio to review films and publications before releaseGreece (RSF rank: not recorded)Prior restraintGeorgios TsolakoglouSustained
3 September 1939Canada: War Measures Act regulations authorize review of hundreds of newspapers and ban political organizationsCanada (RSF 2026 rank: 20th of 180)Prior restraintWilliam Lyon Mackenzie KingSustained (31 December 1945)
1939Brazil's Vargas government creates a state messaging department with broad press powersBrazil (RSF 2026 rank: 52nd of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsGetúlio VargasReversed (1 January 1945)
4 October 1933Nazi Germany's Editors Law bars Jewish journalists, 1933Germany (RSF 2026 rank: 14th of 180)Credential controlAdolf HitlerReversed (8 May 1945)
28 February 1933Germany: Reichstag Fire Decree suspends freedom of the press, February 1933Germany (RSF 2026 rank: 14th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsAdolf HitlerSustained (1 May 1945)
1926Dutch East Indies: Colonial authorities end publication of the communist newspaper Mawa under Penal Code Article 153 bis, 1926Indonesia (RSF rank: not recorded)Licensing and closure of outletsAndries Cornelis Dirk de GraeffSustained (1 January 1926)
1922Glavlit created: Soviet censorship office, 1922Russia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Prior restraintVladimir LeninOngoing (1 January 1989)
9 March 1913Ottoman Empire bars lawmakers and officials from editing newspapers and jails a leading editorTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsMehmed VSustained (9 March 1913)
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