The War On News

A record of government actions against journalism and fact-based reporting, 1900 to today

Search: access bans, from 2020

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 180Canada, RSF 2026 rank: 20th of 180China, RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180Hungary, RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180Israel, RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180Russia, RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180Tanzania, RSF 2026 rank: 117th of 180United States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180
ContinentAfricaAsiaEuropeNorth America
TacticAccess bans 21Credential control 4Detention and violence 3Expulsion and visa denial 1Shutdowns and blocking 1Prior restraint 1
StageRestrict 14Punish 6Silence 1
OutcomeSustained 8Ongoing 7Reversed 4Unknown 2
LevelNational 14State or province 6Municipal 1
Head of governmentAlexander LukashenkoDonald TrumpDoug DuceyJeff LandryJohn HorganRon DeSantisSamia Suluhu HassanTim WalzViktor OrbanVladimir PutinXi Jinping

21 incidents match this view.

TableCardsCSVJSONMarkdown
DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
18 September 2026United States: White House hard-pass deactivations for CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters, September 2026United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpOngoing (21 September 2026)
10 March 2026Hungary: a ruling-party mayor forcibly removes Telex reporters from a campaign eventHungary (RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180)Access bansViktor OrbanOngoing (10 March 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
31 January 2025United States (Louisiana): Federal court order blocking enforcement of the police buffer zone law, January 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansJeff LandryOngoing (31 January 2025)
1 January 2025United States (Florida): Halo Law buffer zone around first responders, January 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansRon DeSantisSustained (1 January 2025)
24 May 2024United States (Louisiana): 25-foot buffer zone law around police officers, May 2024United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansJeff LandryOngoing (31 January 2025)
21 July 2023Federal court strikes down Arizona's law banning recording police within 8 feetUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDoug DuceyReversed (21 July 2023)
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)
20 July 2021Court orders RCMP to stop restricting press access at Fairy Creek logging blockadesCanada (RSF 2026 rank: 20th of 180)Access bansJohn HorganReversed (20 July 2021)
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)
29 May 2020Minnesota State Patrol arrests CNN crew live on air in MinneapolisUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Detention and violenceTim WalzReversed (29 May 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)
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