The War On News

How governments have limited journalists, 1900 to today.

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United States

Government actions against journalists in the United States

The United States is in Northern America, North America. The record holds 16 incidents in which the government of the United States, or an official, court or legislature there, limited journalists' ability to report.

Tactics used

Heads of government at the time

Incidents by year

2026

DateIncidentTacticHead of governmentOutcome
September 18, 2026United States: White House hard-pass deactivations for CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters, September 2026Access bansDonald TrumpOngoing (September 21, 2026)

2025

DateIncidentTacticHead of governmentOutcome
October 15, 2025United States: News organizations turn in their Pentagon press credentials, October 2025Credential controlDonald TrumpOngoing (April 9, 2026)
September 19, 2025United States: Department of Defense press credential rules requiring approval before release of information, September 2025Credential controlDonald TrumpOngoing (April 9, 2026)
September 17, 2025United States: Federal Communications Commission chairman's remarks and the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, September 2025Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpReversed (September 23, 2025)
July 1, 2025United States: Paramount settlement of Donald Trump's lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview, July 2025Lawsuits 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 2025Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpUnknown
April 25, 2025United States: Department of Justice rescission of rules limiting subpoenas of journalists, April 2025Surveillance 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 2025Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpOngoing (March 28, 2025)
February 25, 2025United States: White House takes over selection of the presidential press pool, February 2025Access 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 2025Access bansDonald TrumpOngoing (July 22, 2025)
January 31, 2025United States (Louisiana): Federal court order blocking enforcement of the police buffer zone law, January 2025Access bansJeff LandryOngoing (January 31, 2025)
January 1, 2025United States (Florida): Halo Law buffer zone around first responders, January 2025Access bansRon DeSantisSustained (January 1, 2025)

2024

DateIncidentTacticHead of governmentOutcome
May 24, 2024United States (Louisiana): 25-foot buffer zone law around police officers, May 2024Access bansJeff LandryOngoing (January 31, 2025)

2018

DateIncidentTacticHead of governmentOutcome
November 7, 2018United States: White House suspension of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's hard pass, November 2018Credential controlDonald TrumpReversed (November 19, 2018)

2013

DateIncidentTacticHead of governmentOutcome
October 10, 2013United States: Espionage Act prosecutions of sources for leaks to the press, 2009 to 2013Secrets and espionage lawsBarack ObamaUnknown

1971

DateIncidentTacticHead of governmentOutcome
September 9, 1971United States: Nixon White House "enemies list" naming journalists, September 1971Surveillance and subpoenasRichard NixonUnknown

Compare the United States by tactic · Timeline for United States · North America

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