# Incidents: access bans, national level Each incident is a dated action by a government, an official, a regulator, a court or a legislature that limited journalists' ability to gather or publish news. The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct. Filters: country, continent, tactic, stage, from, to, level, actor, leader, outlet, outcome, source_kind, has_case, plus q, sort (date, date_asc, country, tactic, relevance), per_page (up to 100), page and view (table or cards), as query parameters. 18 incidents match this view. | Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | September 18, 2026 | [United States: White House hard-pass deactivations for CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters, September 2026](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2026-white-house-bans-cnn-msnow-politico) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Access bans](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/access_ban) | [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/donald-trump) | Ongoing (September 21, 2026) | | January 7, 2026 | [Israel: ban on independent entry of foreign journalists into the Gaza Strip, 2023 to 2026](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2026-israel-maintains-ban-on-foreign-press-access-to-gaza) | [Israel](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/il) ([RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Access bans](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/access_ban) | | Sustained (February 25, 2026) | | October 31, 2025 | [White House closes 'Upper Press' section of West Wing to reporters](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-white-house-restricts-access-to-upper-press-office) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Access bans](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/access_ban) | [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/donald-trump) | Sustained | | October 29, 2025 | [Tanzania shuts down internet access on election day amid unrest](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-tanzania-internet-shutdown-election-day) | [Tanzania](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/tz) ([RSF 2026 rank: 117th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Shutdowns and blocking](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/shutdowns_and_blocking) | [Samia Suluhu Hassan](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/samia-suluhu-hassan) | Unknown | | October 15, 2025 | [United States: News organizations turn in their Pentagon press credentials, October 2025](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-pentagon-press-corps-forfeits-badges) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Credential control](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/credential_control) | [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/donald-trump) | Ongoing (April 9, 2026) | | September 19, 2025 | [United States: Department of Defense press credential rules requiring approval before release of information, September 2025](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-pentagon-issues-new-press-credentialing-rules) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Credential control](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/credential_control) | [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/donald-trump) | Ongoing (April 9, 2026) | | April 15, 2025 | [White House ends wire services' guaranteed seat in the press pool](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-white-house-cuts-wire-service-pool-slot) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Access bans](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/access_ban) | [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/donald-trump) | Sustained | | February 25, 2025 | [United States: White House takes over selection of the presidential press pool, February 2025](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-whca-loses-control-of-press-pool) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Access bans](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/access_ban) | [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/donald-trump) | Sustained (September 22, 2026) | | February 11, 2025 | [United States: White House exclusion of the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One, February 2025](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-white-house-bars-ap-gulf-of-america) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Access bans](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/access_ban) | [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/donald-trump) | Ongoing (July 22, 2025) | | February 6, 2025 | [Border czar Tom Homan says ICE media ride-alongs may end over leaks](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-tom-homan-signals-end-to-ice-media-ride-alongs) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Access bans](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/access_ban) | [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/donald-trump) | Unknown | | July 23, 2020 | [Federal officers restrict press access to Portland protests; judge orders them to stop](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2020-federal-officers-target-journalists-portland-injunction) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Access bans](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/access_ban) | [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/donald-trump) | Reversed (July 23, 2020) | | November 7, 2018 | [White House revokes CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's press credential after a news conference exchange with President Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2018-us-cnn-acosta-credential-revoked) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Credential control](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/credential_control) | [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/donald-trump) | Reversed (November 19, 2018) | | November 7, 2018 | [United States: White House suspension of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's hard pass, November 2018](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2018-white-house-revokes-acosta-press-pass) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Credential control](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/credential_control) | [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/donald-trump) | Reversed (November 19, 2018) | | February 10, 2003 | [Pentagon sets ground rules for journalists embedded with United States forces in Iraq](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2003-us-pentagon-embedding-rules-iraq) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Access bans](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/access_ban) | [George W. Bush](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/george-w-bush) | Sustained (April 14, 2003) | | January 17, 1991 | [United States military restricts reporters to escorted press pools during the Gulf War](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1991-gulf-war-us-military-press-pools) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Access bans](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/access_ban) | [George H. W. Bush](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/george-hw-bush) | Sustained (February 28, 1991) | | June 14, 1989 | [China expels foreign journalists and restricts coverage of the Tiananmen Square protests](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1989-china-tiananmen-foreign-journalists-expelled) | [China](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/cn) ([RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Expulsion and visa denial](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/expulsion_and_visa_denial) | [Li Peng](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/li-peng) | Sustained (January 1, 1990) | | November 2, 1985 | [South Africa bans television and photographic coverage of unrest under a state of emergency](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1985-south-africa-state-of-emergency-media-ban) | [South Africa](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/za) ([RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Shutdowns and blocking](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/shutdowns_and_blocking) | [P. W. Botha](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/p-w-botha) | Reversed (June 1, 1990) | | October 25, 1983 | [United States military bars journalists from the invasion of Grenada](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1983-us-grenada-press-exclusion) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Access bans](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/access_ban) | [Ronald Reagan](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/ronald-reagan) | Reversed (April 1, 1985) | Download this view. CSV, JSON or Markdown. CC BY 4.0; credit "The War On News, thewaronnews.com". - CSV: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents?tactic=access_ban&level=national&format=csv - JSON: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents.json?tactic=access_ban&level=national - Markdown: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents.md?tactic=access_ban&level=national - Incidents (RSS): https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/feed.xml - Incidents (Atom): https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/atom.xml - Incidents (JSON Feed): https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/feed.json - All incidents (CSV): https://thewaronnews.com/incidents.csv Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents?tactic=access_ban&level=national. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.