# Explainers

- 2026-09-23: [Where does the United States rank on the World Press Freedom Index?](https://thewaronnews.com/explainers/press-freedom-index-united-states). In RSF's 2026 World Press Freedom Index the United States ranks 64th of 180. Its rank by year since 2013, how the index works, and who ranks first.
- 2026-09-23: [Is it legal to ban reporters from the White House?](https://thewaronnews.com/explainers/is-it-legal-to-ban-reporters-from-the-white-house). What United States courts have held about barring reporters from the White House, from Sherrill v. Knight (1977) to the 2026 CNN, MS NOW and Politico case.
- 2026-09-23: [What is "government censorship" of journalists? Methods, examples and outcomes](https://thewaronnews.com/explainers/government-censorship-of-journalists). The methods governments use to restrict journalists, from prior restraint and licensing to shutdowns and prosecutions, with dated examples by country.
- 2026-09-23: [The Espionage Act and journalists: prosecutions, leak cases and the press](https://thewaronnews.com/explainers/espionage-act-journalists). How the United States Espionage Act of 1917 has been used against the press and journalists' sources, from The Masses to Julian Assange, with outcomes.
- 2026-09-23: [What is a White House hard pass?](https://thewaronnews.com/explainers/white-house-hard-pass). A hard pass is the standing credential that lets a reporter enter the White House without applying each day. Who issues it, how, and when it was revoked.
- 2026-09-23: [What is the White House press pool?](https://thewaronnews.com/explainers/what-is-the-white-house-press-pool). The White House press pool is the small rotating group of reporters who cover the US president in tight spaces. Who picks it, who pays, what changed.
- 2026-09-23: [Sherrill v. Knight: the 1977 ruling on White House press passes](https://thewaronnews.com/explainers/sherrill-v-knight). Sherrill v. Knight (D.C. Cir. 1977) held that a White House press pass may not be denied arbitrarily and requires notice, a reply and written reasons.
- 2026-09-23: [What is the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)?](https://thewaronnews.com/explainers/committee-to-protect-journalists). The Committee to Protect Journalists is a New York non-profit, founded in 1981, that documents journalists killed and jailed. Who runs it and who funds it.

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/explainers. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.