The War On News

How governments have limited journalists, 1900 to today.

Search, national level, outcome ongoing

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

21 incidents match this view.

Country: Bangladesh, RSF 2026 rank: 152nd of 180 Egypt, RSF 2026 rank: 169th of 180 Ethiopia, RSF 2026 rank: 148th of 180 Guatemala, RSF 2026 rank: 128th of 180 India, RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180 Israel, RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180 Myanmar, RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180 Russia, RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180 Serbia, RSF 2026 rank: 104th of 180 Türkiye, RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180 United States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180 Venezuela, RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180

Continent: Africa Asia Europe North America South America

Tactic: Detention and violence (6) Access bans (4) Funding and ownership pressure (4) Prior restraint (4) Credential control (3) Lawsuits against the press (3) Licensing and closure of outlets (3) Surveillance and subpoenas (1) Official labels (1) Insult and defamation laws (1) Shutdowns and blocking (1) Expulsion and visa denial (1)

Stage: Restrict (4) Pressure (5) Punish (5) Silence (6) Eliminate (1)

Outcome: Ongoing (21)

Level: National (21)

Head of government: Abiy Ahmed Alejandro Giammattei Aleksandar Vucic David Ben-Gurion Donald Trump Gamal Abdel Nasser Muhammad Yunus Narendra Modi Nicolas Maduro Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Saw Maung Vladimir Lenin

DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
September 18, 2026United States: White House hard-pass deactivations for CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters, September 2026United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpOngoing (September 21, 2026)
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)
October 15, 2025United States: News organizations turn in their Pentagon press credentials, October 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Credential controlDonald TrumpOngoing (April 9, 2026)
September 19, 2025United States: Department of Defense press credential rules requiring approval before release of information, September 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Credential controlDonald TrumpOngoing (April 9, 2026)
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)
September 5, 2025Serbian police strike, detain and disarm journalists covering anti-government protestsSerbia (RSF 2026 rank: 104th of 180)Detention and violenceAleksandar VucicOngoing
September 3, 2025Ethiopia arrests at least six journalists including Sheger FM staff over election-year coverageEthiopia (RSF 2026 rank: 148th of 180)Detention and violenceAbiy AhmedOngoing (September 22, 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
March 15, 2025United States: U.S. Agency for Global Media action to shut down Voice of America operations, March 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpOngoing (March 28, 2025)
February 11, 2025United States: White House exclusion of the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One, February 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpOngoing (July 22, 2025)
February 3, 2025Journalists beaten in Bangladesh in separate incidents as interim government drafts new cyber lawsBangladesh (RSF 2026 rank: 152nd of 180)Detention and violenceMuhammad YunusOngoing
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)
November 1, 2023Turkish authorities detain three journalists under 'disinformation' lawTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Insult and defamation lawsRecep Tayyip ErdoğanOngoing
June 14, 2023Guatemala convicts investigative journalist Jose Ruben Zamora on money-laundering chargeGuatemala (RSF 2026 rank: 128th of 180)Detention and violenceAlejandro GiammatteiOngoing
August 5, 2019India imposes a communications blackout in Jammu and Kashmir after revoking the region's special statusIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingNarendra ModiOngoing (August 5, 2020)
September 1, 2017Venezuela expels or denies entry to dozens of foreign journalists covering anti-government protestsVenezuela (RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180)Expulsion and visa denialNicolas MaduroOngoing (January 25, 2018)
September 18, 1988Burma's new military government tightens pre-publication press controls after seizing powerMyanmar (RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180)Prior restraintSaw MaungOngoing (January 1, 1989)
May 24, 1960Egypt's Nasser government nationalizes every newspaper and magazine in the countryEgypt (RSF 2026 rank: 169th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureGamal Abdel NasserOngoing (January 1, 1989)
1948Israel retains a British-era law giving the military the power to review and restrict the pressIsrael (RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180)Prior restraintDavid Ben-GurionOngoing (January 1, 1989)
1922Soviet Russia creates Glavlit, a central office to review all printed material before publicationRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Prior restraintVladimir LeninOngoing (January 1, 1989)
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