The War On News

How governments have limited journalists, 1900 to today.

North America

Government actions against journalists in North America

17 recorded incidents in 2 countries of North America.

Countries

Tactics used

Incidents

DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
September 18, 2026United States: White House hard-pass deactivations for CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters, September 2026United StatesAccess bansDonald TrumpOngoing (September 21, 2026)
April 2026El Salvador: freeze on assets of shareholders in El Faro's parent company, February to April 2026El SalvadorFunding and ownership pressureNayib BukeleSustained (May 8, 2026)
October 15, 2025United States: News organizations turn in their Pentagon press credentials, October 2025United StatesCredential controlDonald TrumpOngoing (April 9, 2026)
September 19, 2025United States: Department of Defense press credential rules requiring approval before release of information, September 2025United StatesCredential controlDonald TrumpOngoing (April 9, 2026)
September 17, 2025United States: Federal Communications Commission chairman's remarks and the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, September 2025United StatesFunding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpReversed (September 23, 2025)
July 1, 2025United States: Paramount settlement of Donald Trump's lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview, July 2025United StatesLawsuits against the pressDonald TrumpSustained (July 1, 2025)
May 1, 2025United States: Executive Order 14290 directing an end to federal funding for NPR and PBS, May 2025United StatesFunding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpUnknown
April 25, 2025United States: Department of Justice rescission of rules limiting subpoenas of journalists, April 2025United StatesSurveillance and subpoenasDonald TrumpSustained (April 25, 2025)
March 15, 2025United States: U.S. Agency for Global Media action to shut down Voice of America operations, March 2025United StatesFunding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpOngoing (March 28, 2025)
February 25, 2025United States: White House takes over selection of the presidential press pool, February 2025United StatesAccess bansDonald TrumpSustained (September 22, 2026)
February 11, 2025United States: White House exclusion of the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One, February 2025United StatesAccess bansDonald TrumpOngoing (July 22, 2025)
January 31, 2025United States (Louisiana): Federal court order blocking enforcement of the police buffer zone law, January 2025United StatesAccess bansJeff LandryOngoing (January 31, 2025)
January 1, 2025United States (Florida): Halo Law buffer zone around first responders, January 2025United StatesAccess bansRon DeSantisSustained (January 1, 2025)
May 24, 2024United States (Louisiana): 25-foot buffer zone law around police officers, May 2024United StatesAccess bansJeff LandryOngoing (January 31, 2025)
November 7, 2018United States: White House suspension of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's hard pass, November 2018United StatesCredential controlDonald TrumpReversed (November 19, 2018)
October 10, 2013United States: Espionage Act prosecutions of sources for leaks to the press, 2009 to 2013United StatesSecrets and espionage lawsBarack ObamaUnknown
September 9, 1971United States: Nixon White House "enemies list" naming journalists, September 1971United StatesSurveillance and subpoenasRichard NixonUnknown

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