Compare: who did what, when: credential control

Each row is a tactic and each column a country. A cell lists the dated incidents in which that country's government used that tactic, with the head of government at the time and the outcome. Every incident links to its sources.

9 incidents, 6 tactics, 4 countries.

Tactics by country
Tactic	China	Germany	Spain	United States
Access bans				November 7, 2018 White House revokes CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's press credential after a news conference exchange with President Trump. Donald Trump. Reversed. Issue of the day: President Trump's characterization of a migrant caravan approaching the United States border in the days before the November 2018 midterm election. November 7, 2018 United States: White House suspension of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's hard pass, November 2018. Donald Trump. Reversed. Issue of the day: An exchange between Acosta and Trump at a White House news conference on November 7, 2018, after the United States midterm elections. February 25, 2025 United States: White House takes over selection of the presidential press pool, February 2025. Donald Trump. Sustained September 19, 2025 United States: Department of Defense press credential rules requiring approval before release of information, September 2025. Donald Trump. Ongoing October 15, 2025 United States: News organizations turn in their Pentagon press credentials, October 2025. Donald Trump. Ongoing September 18, 2026 United States: White House hard-pass deactivations for CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters, September 2026. Donald Trump. Ongoing
Credential control	March 17, 2020 China expels American journalists from three major U.S. newspapers. Xi Jinping. Sustained. Issue of the day: The expulsions followed a rapid exchange of measures: a Wall Street Journal opinion piece China objected to, the U.S. capping Chinese state-media staff, and China's decision to expel American reporters from three outlets in response, all unfolding as the coronavirus pandemic was spreading globally.	October 4, 1933 Nazi Germany's Editors Law bars Jewish journalists from the press and puts editors under state direction. Adolf Hitler. Reversed. Issue of the day: Hitler's government, in power only since January 1933, was consolidating control over German public life and moved within months to bring newspapers and their editors directly under state and party direction.	April 1938 Franco's Spain requires state permission to be a journalist under a wartime Press Law. Francisco Franco. Reversed. Issue of the day: Franco's Nationalist forces were still fighting Spain's civil war in April 1938 and used the new Press Law to consolidate direct control over which newspapers could exist and who could work as a journalist within them.	November 7, 2018 White House revokes CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's press credential after a news conference exchange with President Trump. Donald Trump. Reversed. Issue of the day: President Trump's characterization of a migrant caravan approaching the United States border in the days before the November 2018 midterm election. November 7, 2018 United States: White House suspension of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's hard pass, November 2018. Donald Trump. Reversed. Issue of the day: An exchange between Acosta and Trump at a White House news conference on November 7, 2018, after the United States midterm elections. February 25, 2025 United States: White House takes over selection of the presidential press pool, February 2025. Donald Trump. Sustained September 19, 2025 United States: Department of Defense press credential rules requiring approval before release of information, September 2025. Donald Trump. Ongoing October 15, 2025 United States: News organizations turn in their Pentagon press credentials, October 2025. Donald Trump. Ongoing September 18, 2026 United States: White House hard-pass deactivations for CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters, September 2026. Donald Trump. Ongoing
Licensing and closure of outlets		October 4, 1933 Nazi Germany's Editors Law bars Jewish journalists from the press and puts editors under state direction. Adolf Hitler. Reversed. Issue of the day: Hitler's government, in power only since January 1933, was consolidating control over German public life and moved within months to bring newspapers and their editors directly under state and party direction.
Prior restraint			April 1938 Franco's Spain requires state permission to be a journalist under a wartime Press Law. Francisco Franco. Reversed. Issue of the day: Franco's Nationalist forces were still fighting Spain's civil war in April 1938 and used the new Press Law to consolidate direct control over which newspapers could exist and who could work as a journalist within them.	September 19, 2025 United States: Department of Defense press credential rules requiring approval before release of information, September 2025. Donald Trump. Ongoing
Insult and defamation laws			April 1938 Franco's Spain requires state permission to be a journalist under a wartime Press Law. Francisco Franco. Reversed. Issue of the day: Franco's Nationalist forces were still fighting Spain's civil war in April 1938 and used the new Press Law to consolidate direct control over which newspapers could exist and who could work as a journalist within them.
Expulsion and visa denial	March 17, 2020 China expels American journalists from three major U.S. newspapers. Xi Jinping. Sustained. Issue of the day: The expulsions followed a rapid exchange of measures: a Wall Street Journal opinion piece China objected to, the U.S. capping Chinese state-media staff, and China's decision to expel American reporters from three outlets in response, all unfolding as the coronavirus pandemic was spreading globally.

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