The War On News

How governments have limited journalists, 1900 to today.

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Incidents, national level, head of government Donald Trump

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.

27 incidents match this view.

Country: United States (27)

Continent: North America (27)

Tactic: Access bans (11) Funding and ownership pressure (8) Credential control (6) Lawsuits against the press (5) Surveillance and subpoenas (2) Prior restraint (2) Licensing and closure of outlets (1) Official labels (1) Detention and violence (1) Secrets and espionage laws (1)

Outcome: Ongoing (10) Sustained (8) Reversed (6) Unknown (3)

Level: National (27)

Head of government: Donald Trump (27)

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)
July 10, 2026Customs officers seize Grayzone editor's phones at Virginia airport over Iran reportingUnited StatesSurveillance and subpoenasDonald TrumpReversed (July 17, 2026)
April 28, 2026Appeals court orders FCC to respond to challenge over 'news distortion' policyUnited StatesFunding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpOngoing (April 28, 2026)
October 31, 2025White House closes 'Upper Press' section of West Wing to reportersUnited StatesAccess bansDonald TrumpSustained
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)
September 16, 2025Trump files, then refiles, $15 billion defamation suit against the New York TimesUnited StatesLawsuits against the pressDonald TrumpOngoing (October 16, 2025)
July 24, 2025FCC approves Paramount-Skydance merger after CBS ombudsman and anti-DEI pledgesUnited StatesFunding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpSustained (July 24, 2025)
July 18, 2025Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over Epstein birthday letter storyUnited StatesLawsuits against the pressDonald TrumpOngoing
July 18, 2025Congress cuts $1.1 billion in federal funding for public broadcastingUnited StatesFunding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpSustained (July 18, 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)
April 22, 202560 Minutes executive producer resigns, citing lost editorial independenceUnited StatesFunding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpSustained (April 22, 2025)
April 15, 2025White House ends wire services' guaranteed seat in the press poolUnited StatesAccess bansDonald TrumpSustained
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)
February 6, 2025Border czar Tom Homan says ICE media ride-alongs may end over leaksUnited StatesAccess bansDonald TrumpUnknown
January 29, 2025FCC chair reopens 'news distortion' complaints against CBS and NBCUnited StatesFunding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpOngoing
December 16, 2024Trump sues Des Moines Register and pollster Ann Selzer over final Iowa pollUnited StatesLawsuits against the pressDonald TrumpOngoing (July 10, 2026)
September 12, 2020Political appointees alter CDC coronavirus guidance before public releaseUnited StatesPrior restraintDonald TrumpUnknown
July 16, 2020Federal officers restrict press access to Portland protests; judge orders them to stopUnited StatesAccess bansDonald TrumpReversed (July 16, 2020)
May 23, 2019United States indicts WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange under the Espionage ActUnited StatesSecrets and espionage lawsDonald TrumpReversed (June 25, 2024)
November 7, 2018White House revokes CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's press credential after a news conference exchange with President TrumpUnited StatesCredential controlDonald TrumpReversed (November 19, 2018)
November 7, 2018United States: White House suspension of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's hard pass, November 2018United StatesCredential controlDonald TrumpReversed (November 19, 2018)
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