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, national level, outcome sustained

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
CountryArgentina, RSF 2026 rank: 98th of 180Cambodia, RSF 2026 rank: 151st of 180Canada, RSF 2026 rank: 20th of 180Germany, RSF 2026 rank: 14th of 180GreeceHong Kong, RSF 2026 rank: 140th of 180Hungary, RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180IndonesiaMalaysia, RSF 2026 rank: 95th of 180Myanmar, RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180Pakistan, RSF 2026 rank: 153rd of 180PeruRussia, RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180Slovakia, RSF 2026 rank: 37th of 180South Africa, RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180Türkiye, RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180Venezuela, RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180
ContinentAfricaAsiaEuropeNorth AmericaSouth America
TacticLicensing and closure of outlets 21Funding and ownership pressure 6Detention and violence 4Prior restraint 2Official labels 1Shutdowns and blocking 1Secrets and espionage laws 1
StagePressure 3Punish 1Silence 17
OutcomeSustained 21
LevelNational 21
Head of governmentAdolf HitlerAlberto FujimoriAndries Cornelis Dirk de GraeffBalthazar Johannes VorsterCarrie LamGeorgios TsolakoglouHugo ChavezHun SenJavier MileiJuan PerónMahathir MohamadMehmed VMin Aung HlaingRecep Tayyip ErdoğanRobert FicoShehbaz SharifViktor OrbanVladimir PutinWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King

21 incidents match this view.

TableCardsCSVJSONMarkdown
DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
29 January 2025Pakistan amends cybercrime law to create new agency policing 'fake' online contentPakistan (RSF 2026 rank: 153rd of 180)Official labelsShehbaz SharifSustained
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)
4 March 2024Milei's government shuts down Argentina's state news agency TelamArgentina (RSF 2026 rank: 98th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureJavier MileiSustained
13 February 2023Cambodia: Prime Minister Hun Sen orders Voice of Democracy's license revoked over one articleCambodia (RSF 2026 rank: 151st of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsHun SenSustained (13 February 2023)
5 September 2022Russia: a Moscow court suspends Novaya Gazeta's print licenseRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsVladimir PutinSustained (5 September 2022)
24 June 2021China (Hong Kong): Apple Daily closes after its assets are frozen under the national security lawHong Kong (RSF 2026 rank: 140th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsCarrie LamSustained (24 June 2021)
8 March 2021Myanmar junta revokes five outlets' licenses and raids newsrooms after coupMyanmar (RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsMin Aung HlaingSustained
4 September 2017Cambodia's government forces the closure of The Cambodia Daily with a disputed multimillion-dollar tax billCambodia (RSF 2026 rank: 151st of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsHun SenSustained (4 September 2017)
27 July 2016Turkey closes more than 100 media outlets by decree after a failed coup attemptTürkiye (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsRecep Tayyip ErdoğanSustained (31 December 2016)
21 December 2010Hungary's parliament gives a government-appointed media council power to fine outlets for unbalanced coverageHungary (RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureViktor OrbanSustained (1 January 2011)
27 May 2007Venezuela: the government declines to renew RCTV's broadcast concessionVenezuela (RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsHugo ChavezSustained (8 September 2015)
14 April 2001State-controlled Gazprom takes formal control of Russia's independent NTV television networkRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Funding and ownership pressureVladimir PutinSustained (14 April 2001)
July 1997Peru strips television station owner Baruch Ivcher of his citizenship after critical reportingPeru (RSF rank: not recorded)Funding and ownership pressureAlberto FujimoriSustained
1987Malaysia: Printing Presses and Publications Act amended to bar court review of publishing permits, 1987Malaysia (RSF 2026 rank: 95th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsMahathir MohamadSustained
19 October 1977South Africa bans The World and Weekend World newspapers and detains editor Percy QobozaSouth Africa (RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsBalthazar Johannes VorsterSustained (1 March 1978)
October 1951Argentina: President Juan Perón's government hands the expropriated newspaper La Prensa to the CGT labor federation, October 1951Argentina (RSF 2026 rank: 98th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsJuan PerónSustained (1 October 1951)
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)
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)
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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