The War On News

A record of government actions against journalism and fact-based reporting, from the first press laws to today

The record

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.

All filters: country, dates, head of government, sort
CountryBelarus, RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180China, RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180Israel, RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180Philippines, RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180Russia, RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180South Africa, RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180Tanzania, RSF 2026 rank: 117th of 180United States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180
ContinentAfricaAsiaEuropeNorth America
TacticAccess bans 23Credential control 6Expulsion and visa denial 2Shutdowns and blocking 2Prior restraint 2Detention and violence 2
StageRestrict 15Pressure 1Punish 5Silence 2
OutcomeSustained 10Ongoing 5Reversed 5Unknown 3
LevelNational 23
Head of governmentAlexander LukashenkoDonald TrumpGeorge H. W. BushGeorge W. BushLi PengP. W. BothaRodrigo DuterteRonald ReaganSamia Suluhu HassanVladimir PutinXi Jinping

23 incidents match this view.

TableCardsCSVJSONMarkdown
DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
18 September 2026CNN, MS NOW, Politico hard passes deactivated, 2026United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpOngoing (21 September 2026)
7 January 2026Israel: ban on independent entry of foreign journalists into the Gaza Strip, 2023 to 2026Israel (RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180)Access bansSustained (25 February 2026)
31 October 2025White House closes 'Upper Press' section of West Wing to reportersUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpSustained
29 October 2025Tanzania shuts down internet access on election day amid unrestTanzania (RSF 2026 rank: 117th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingSamia Suluhu HassanUnknown
15 October 2025United States: News organizations turn in their Pentagon press credentials, October 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Credential controlDonald TrumpOngoing (9 April 2026)
19 September 2025United States: Department of Defense press credential rules requiring approval before release of information, September 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Credential controlDonald TrumpOngoing (9 April 2026)
15 April 2025White House ends wire services' guaranteed seat in the press poolUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpSustained
25 February 2025United States: White House takes over selection of the presidential press pool, February 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpSustained (22 September 2026)
11 February 2025United States: White House exclusion of the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One, February 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpOngoing (22 July 2025)
6 February 2025Border czar Tom Homan says ICE media ride-alongs may end over leaksUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpUnknown
16 June 2022Russia: entry bans, visa restrictions and bureau closures for foreign correspondentsRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Access bansVladimir PutinSustained (16 June 2022)
29 August 2020Belarus: accreditation withdrawn from 17 journalists working for foreign outletsBelarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180)Access bansAlexander LukashenkoSustained (29 August 2020)
23 July 2020Federal officers restrict press access to Portland protests; judge orders them to stopUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpReversed (23 July 2020)
19 February 2020China: three Wall Street Journal correspondents expelled over an opinion headlineChina (RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180)Access bansXi JinpingSustained (19 February 2020)
7 November 2018White House revokes CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's press credential after a news conference exchange with President TrumpUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Credential controlDonald TrumpReversed (19 November 2018)
7 November 2018United States: White House suspension of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's hard pass, November 2018United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Credential controlDonald TrumpReversed (19 November 2018)
21 February 2018Philippines: a Rappler reporter is barred from the presidential palacePhilippines (RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180)Access bansRodrigo DuterteUnknown (21 February 2018)
10 February 2003Pentagon sets ground rules for journalists embedded with United States forces in IraqUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansGeorge W. BushSustained (14 April 2003)
17 January 1991United States military restricts reporters to escorted press pools during the Gulf WarUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansGeorge H. W. BushSustained (28 February 1991)
20 December 1989United States: Pentagon press pool kept from the opening hours of the Panama invasion, December 1989United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansGeorge H. W. BushOngoing (6 April 1990)
14 June 1989China expels foreign journalists and restricts coverage of the Tiananmen Square protestsChina (RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180)Expulsion and visa denialLi PengSustained (1 January 1990)
2 November 1985South Africa bans television and photographic coverage of unrest under a state of emergencySouth Africa (RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180)Shutdowns and blockingP. W. BothaReversed (1 June 1990)
25 October 1983United States military bars journalists from the invasion of GrenadaUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansRonald ReaganReversed (1 April 1985)
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