The War On News

How governments have limited journalists, 1900 to today.

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Access bans

A government or official bars a reporter or a news organisation from places or events where news is gathered: briefings, government buildings, press pools, official trips or court hearings. The ban may be announced, or made by refusing entry without notice. It does not stop publication, but it cuts reporters off from officials and from events that other outlets can still cover.

10 recorded incidents in 2 countries; the earliest in the record is dated November 7, 2018.

Incidents by country and year

United States (9)

DateIncidentHead of governmentOutcome
November 7, 2018United States: White House suspension of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's hard pass, November 2018Donald TrumpReversed (November 19, 2018)
May 24, 2024United States (Louisiana): 25-foot buffer zone law around police officers, May 2024Jeff LandryOngoing (January 31, 2025)
January 1, 2025United States (Florida): Halo Law buffer zone around first responders, January 2025Ron DeSantisSustained (January 1, 2025)
January 31, 2025United States (Louisiana): Federal court order blocking enforcement of the police buffer zone law, January 2025Jeff LandryOngoing (January 31, 2025)
February 11, 2025United States: White House exclusion of the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One, February 2025Donald TrumpOngoing (July 22, 2025)
February 25, 2025United States: White House takes over selection of the presidential press pool, February 2025Donald TrumpSustained (September 22, 2026)
September 19, 2025United States: Department of Defense press credential rules requiring approval before release of information, September 2025Donald TrumpOngoing (April 9, 2026)
October 15, 2025United States: News organizations turn in their Pentagon press credentials, October 2025Donald TrumpOngoing (April 9, 2026)
September 18, 2026United States: White House hard-pass deactivations for CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters, September 2026Donald TrumpOngoing (September 21, 2026)

Israel (1)

DateIncidentHead of governmentOutcome
January 7, 2026Israel: ban on independent entry of foreign journalists into the Gaza Strip, 2023 to 2026Sustained (February 25, 2026)

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