The War On News

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

Search, stage: pressure, from 2020, 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
CountryBelarus, RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180El Salvador, RSF 2026 rank: 143rd of 180Georgia, RSF 2026 rank: 135th of 180Hungary, RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180India, RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180KazakhstanRussia, RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180Slovakia, RSF 2026 rank: 37th of 180Türkiye, RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180United States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180
ContinentAsiaEuropeNorth America
TacticFunding and ownership pressure 13Official labels 7Lawsuits against the press 6Prior restraint 3Licensing and closure of outlets 2Surveillance and subpoenas 2Credential control 1
StagePressure 25
OutcomeSustained 13Ongoing 6Reversed 4Unknown 2
LevelNational 25
Head of governmentAlexander LukashenkoDonald TrumpIrakli KobakhidzeKassym-Jomart TokayevNarendra ModiNayib BukeleRecep Tayyip ErdoğanRobert FicoViktor OrbanVladimir Putin

25 incidents match this view.

TableCardsCSVJSONMarkdown
DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
20 August 2026Kazakhstan: fabricated copyright complaints used against journalistsKazakhstan (RSF rank: not recorded)Lawsuits against the pressKassym-Jomart TokayevOngoing (20 August 2026)
4 August 2026Russia: law on asset freezes and service denials for exiled "foreign agents", August 2026Russia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Official labelsVladimir PutinSustained (4 August 2026)
28 April 2026Appeals court orders FCC to respond to challenge over 'news distortion' policyUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpOngoing (28 April 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 (8 May 2026)
17 September 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 (23 September 2025)
15 September 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 (16 October 2025)
24 July 2025FCC approves Paramount-Skydance merger after CBS ombudsman and anti-DEI pledgesUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpSustained (24 July 2025)
18 July 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
18 July 2025Congress cuts $1.1 billion in federal funding for public broadcastingUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpSustained (24 July 2025)
1 July 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 (1 July 2025)
1 May 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
25 April 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 (25 April 2025)
22 April 202560 Minutes executive producer resigns, citing lost editorial independenceUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpSustained (22 April 2025)
22 January 2025FCC chair reopens 'news distortion' complaints against CBS and NBCUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpOngoing
16 December 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 (10 July 2026)
20 June 2024Slovakia's parliament dissolves public broadcaster RTVS, replaces it with STVRSlovakia (RSF 2026 rank: 37th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsRobert FicoSustained (1 July 2024)
28 May 2024Georgia enacts 'foreign influence' law requiring media to register as foreign-backedGeorgia (RSF 2026 rank: 135th of 180)Official labelsIrakli KobakhidzeSustained
March 2024Bombay High Court strikes down India's government 'fact check unit' ruleIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Official labelsNarendra ModiReversed (20 September 2024)
20 December 2023Hungary: National Sovereignty Protection Act and Sovereignty Protection Office, December 2023Hungary (RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180)Official labelsViktor OrbanReversed (30 June 2026)
22 February 2023Turkiye: the broadcast regulator fines and suspends channels for earthquake coverageTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Prior restraintRecep Tayyip ErdoğanSustained (22 February 2023)
14 February 2023Indian tax authorities search BBC offices weeks after Modi documentary banIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasNarendra ModiUnknown
9 March 2022Belarus: Deutsche Welle and other outlets labeled 'extremist'Belarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180)Official labelsAlexander LukashenkoSustained (9 March 2022)
23 April 2021Russia: independent outlet Meduza designated a 'foreign agent'Russia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Official labelsVladimir PutinSustained (23 April 2021)
1 April 2021Turkiye: the presidency's press card system is found restrictive by the country's top administrative courtTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Credential controlRecep Tayyip ErdoğanReversed (1 April 2021)
24 July 2020Hungary: editor fired and staff resign at Index.huHungary (RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureViktor OrbanSustained (24 July 2020)
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