Focal chapter
The United States
The focal chapter: 2025 to 2026, the record since 1917, and where each tactic in use now has led elsewhere
RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180. World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders (RSF); rank 1 is the freest.
This chapter sets out what the government of the United States and its officials have done to journalists in 2025 and 2026, the earlier record from 1917 to 2024, and, for each tactic in use now, where the same tactic has led in other countries.
The record is deepest for the United States. The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.
Now
Incidents dated 2025 and 2026, in date order.
United States (Florida): Halo Law buffer zone around first responders, January 2025
On January 1, 2025, the "Halo Law" took effect in Florida, a state in the south-eastern United States. It creates a 25-foot (7.6-metre) buffer zone around first responders, such as police officers, firefighters and paramedics, while they are performing their duties, and anyone who enters the zone "to 'harass, impede or threaten' first responders after receiving a warning" faces up to 60 days in prison and a fine of US$500. The law applies to journalists as well as the public. The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, signed it in 2024.
- Tactics
- Access bans
- Stage
- Restrict
- Head of government
- Ron DeSantis
- Outcome
- Sustained (1 January 2025). In effect from 2025-01-01; the sources cited report no court order blocking it (as of 2026-09-22).
- Sources
- 2
FCC chair reopens 'news distortion' complaints against CBS and NBC
Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr reopened complaints alleging CBS and NBC distorted the news, demanding CBS turn over the full tape and transcript of a 60 Minutes interview and later accusing NBC's parent Comcast of misleading coverage of an immigration case.
- Stage
- Pressure
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Ongoing. The complaints against CBS and NBC remained open, with no formal licensing action announced in the source reviewed.
- Sources
- 1
United States (Louisiana): Federal court order blocking enforcement of the police buffer zone law, January 2025
On January 31, 2025, Judge John W. deGravelles of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, a federal trial court, blocked enforcement of the state's 25-foot (7.6-metre) police buffer zone law with a preliminary injunction, an order that keeps the situation as it is while a case is decided. He wrote that "the distance required is likely to impede Plaintiffs' non-obstructive newsgathering" and that "the Act has a chilling effect on Plaintiffs' First Amendment rights." The plaintiffs included journalists and civil rights observers. Louisiana was reported to be appealing the order.
- Tactics
- Access bans
- Stage
- Restrict
- Head of government
- Jeff Landry
- Outcome
- Ongoing (31 January 2025). Preliminary injunction granted 2025-01-31; Louisiana's appeal was reported pending as of mid-2026.
- Sources
- 2
Border czar Tom Homan says ICE media ride-alongs may end over leaks
White House border czar Tom Homan said the administration might stop letting journalists ride along on Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations after an Aurora, Colorado raid captured far fewer people than expected, which officials attributed to leaked details of the operation.
- Tactics
- Access bans
- Stage
- Restrict
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Unknown. Homan described ending ride-alongs as under consideration; no formal, dated order was documented in the source reviewed.
- Sources
- 1
United States: White House exclusion of the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One, February 2025
On February 11, 2025, the White House, the office of the president of the United States, began barring journalists from the Associated Press (AP), a United States news agency, from the Oval Office and Air Force One, the aircraft that carries the president. The exclusion followed AP's decision to keep using the name "Gulf of Mexico" after an executive order of the president, Donald Trump, renamed the body of water the "Gulf of America" for United States federal purposes. Trump told reporters, "We're going to keep them out until such time as they agree that it's the Gulf of America," according to NPR. AP sued on February 21, 2025; as of 2026-09-22, a partial stay by a federal appeals court leaves AP excluded from the Oval Office and Air Force One.
- Tactics
- Access bans
- Stage
- Restrict
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Ongoing (22 July 2025). The D.C. Circuit's partial stay of 2025-06-06 keeps AP out of the Oval Office, Air Force One, Mar-a-Lago and the Cabinet Room and admits it to the East Room; the full court denied rehearing en banc on 2025-07-22. The appeal is pending.
- Sources
- 6
United States: White House takes over selection of the presidential press pool, February 2025
On February 25, 2025, the White House announced that it would decide which journalists join the press pool, the small rotating group of reporters who cover the president of the United States in spaces such as the Oval Office and Air Force One and share what they gather with other outlets. The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA), the organization of reporters who cover the president, said that for more than a century "working journalists" and "not government officials" had "determined pool rotation procedures." As of 2026-09-22, the White House selects the pool, according to the Associated Press.
- Tactics
- Access bans, Credential control
- Stage
- Restrict
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Sustained (22 September 2026). The White House selects the pool as of 2026-09-22, according to the Associated Press (s104).
- Sources
- 3
United States: U.S. Agency for Global Media action to shut down Voice of America operations, March 2025
Beginning on March 15, 2025, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the United States federal agency that oversees the government's international broadcasters, placed most of its staff on paid administrative leave and moved to shut down the operations of Voice of America (VOA), the United States government's international broadcaster. Kari Lake, a senior advisor at USAGM, carried out the action under an executive order of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, to reduce the federal bureaucracy. VOA journalists sued on March 21, 2025, and on March 28, 2025, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order, a short-term order made before a full hearing, that barred the agency from reducing its workforce.
- Stage
- Silence
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Ongoing (28 March 2025). A temporary restraining order of 2025-03-28 barred USAGM from reducing its workforce; litigation continued into 2026.
- Sources
- 5
White House ends wire services' guaranteed seat in the press pool
The White House ended the decades-old practice of guaranteeing wire services Associated Press, Reuters and Bloomberg a daily seat in the small press pool that covers the president, making them compete instead for a single rotating print slot alongside other outlets.
- Tactics
- Access bans
- Stage
- Restrict
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Sustained. The dedicated wire-service pool seat was not restored; the outlets continued to compete for a rotating slot.
- Sources
- 1
60 Minutes executive producer resigns, citing lost editorial independence
60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens resigned, saying corporate owner Paramount had begun supervising the program's content in new ways while it faced President Trump's lawsuit over a Harris interview and pursued a sale requiring federal approval; the program publicly said on air that it had lost the independence it once had.
- Stage
- Pressure
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Sustained (22 April 2025). Owens's resignation was not reversed; the program continued under Paramount's new oversight amid the pending settlement and merger.
- Sources
- 1
United States: Department of Justice rescission of rules limiting subpoenas of journalists, April 2025
On April 25, 2025, the Attorney General of the United States, Pam Bondi, head of the Department of Justice, the federal department that prosecutes federal crimes, rescinded rules adopted in 2021 and 2022 under her predecessor, Merrick Garland, that barred prosecutors from seeking reporters' records or testimony to identify the sources of leaks. Bondi's memo said leaks of sensitive information to the media undermine the department's ability "to uphold the rule of law, protect civil rights, and keep America safe." The department returned to a test that weighs law enforcement interests against press freedom, according to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a United States non-profit that provides legal help to journalists.
- Tactics
- Surveillance and subpoenas
- Stage
- Pressure
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Sustained (25 April 2025). In effect since 2025-04-25; the sources cited report no restoration of the earlier rules (as of 2026-09-22).
- Sources
- 1
United States: Executive Order 14290 directing an end to federal funding for NPR and PBS, May 2025
On May 1, 2025, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, signed Executive Order 14290, "Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media." It directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private non-profit corporation created by the United States Congress in 1967 to distribute federal money to public radio and television, and federal agencies to stop funding NPR and PBS, the country's non-profit public radio and television networks. The order says public funding for news is "not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence." NPR and PBS said the president cannot cut funding that Congress has appropriated to CPB.
- Stage
- Pressure
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Unknown. No court ruling on Executive Order 14290 and no final funding figure appears in the sources cited (as of 2026-09-22).
- Sources
- 3
Officer shoots Australian journalist with rubber bullet during Los Angeles immigration protests
A law enforcement officer shot Nine News Australia correspondent Lauren Tomasi with a rubber bullet while she was reporting live from a Los Angeles protest against federal immigration raids, prompting Australia's prime minister to call the incident unacceptable and raise it with the U.S. government.
- Tactics
- Detention and violence
- Stage
- Punish
- Head of government
- Karen Bass
- Outcome
- Unknown. No investigation or disciplinary outcome regarding the officer who fired at Tomasi was reported in the source reviewed.
- Sources
- 1
United States: Paramount settlement of Donald Trump's lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview, July 2025
On July 1, 2025, Paramount, the parent company of the United States broadcaster CBS News, announced that it would settle for US$16 million a lawsuit brought by Donald Trump, the president of the United States, over how the CBS program 60 Minutes edited a 2024 interview with Kamala Harris, then vice-president. The money goes to Trump's future presidential library and the plaintiffs' fees and costs, and 60 Minutes will release transcripts of future interviews with presidential candidates, "subject to redactions as required for legal or national security concerns." Paramount "has maintained that the lawsuit was completely without merit," according to CBS News.
- Tactics
- Lawsuits against the press
- Stage
- Pressure
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Sustained (1 July 2025). Settled on 2025-07-01: US$16 million to Trump's future presidential library and the plaintiffs' fees and costs; 60 Minutes to release transcripts of presidential-candidate interviews. The outcome enum has no value for a settlement; "sustained" records that the settlement terms stand.
- Sources
- 1
Congress cuts $1.1 billion in federal funding for public broadcasting
At President Trump's request, Congress passed a rescissions package clawing back roughly $1.1 billion already appropriated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, eliminating federal funding for NPR, PBS and their member stations.
- Stage
- Pressure
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Sustained (24 July 2025). The rescission became law on July 24, 2025 (Public Law 119-28), eliminating CPB's federal appropriation; no restoration of the funding had occurred in the sources reviewed.
- Sources
- 2
Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over Epstein birthday letter story
President Trump sued The Wall Street Journal, its owner Rupert Murdoch and two reporters for at least $10 billion, disputing the newspaper's report describing a bawdy letter he was said to have sent Jeffrey Epstein for a 2003 birthday album.
- Tactics
- Lawsuits against the press
- Stage
- Pressure
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Ongoing. Dow Jones moved to dismiss the suit in September 2025, arguing the reporting was true; the case remained in litigation.
- Sources
- 2
FCC approves Paramount-Skydance merger after CBS ombudsman and anti-DEI pledges
The Federal Communications Commission approved Paramount's sale to Skydance Media after Skydance agreed to install an ombudsman to review complaints of bias at CBS News for two years and pledged to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs, over the objection of the commission's sole Democratic member.
- Stage
- Pressure
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Sustained (24 July 2025). The FCC approved the merger with the ombudsman and anti-DEI conditions in place; Commissioner Gomez's dissent did not change the outcome.
- Sources
- 1
Trump files, then refiles, $15 billion defamation suit against the New York Times
President Trump sued The New York Times and four of its journalists for $15 billion over articles and a book published before the 2024 election; a judge dismissed the sprawling original complaint for violating basic pleading rules, and Trump refiled a shorter version a month later.
- Tactics
- Lawsuits against the press
- Stage
- Pressure
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Ongoing (16 October 2025). A judge dismissed the original complaint for violating pleading rules; Trump refiled a shortened, six-claim complaint in October 2025.
- Sources
- 2
United States: Federal Communications Commission chairman's remarks and the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, September 2025
On September 17, 2025, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the United States regulator of broadcasting, Brendan Carr, said broadcasters could "do this the easy way or the hard way" over remarks by the television host Jimmy Kimmel, and warned of "additional work for the FCC ahead." Within hours, the station owners Nexstar and Sinclair said they would pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! from their stations, and ABC, the network that airs it, did the same, according to NPR. ABC announced that the show would return on September 23, 2025, according to Al Jazeera.
- Stage
- Pressure
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Reversed (23 September 2025). ABC announced the show's return for 2025-09-23 after about a week off the air, according to Al Jazeera (s112).
- Sources
- 2
United States: Department of Defense press credential rules requiring approval before release of information, September 2025
On September 19, 2025, the United States Department of Defense, the federal department that provides the country's military forces, issued new credential rules for reporters at the Pentagon, its headquarters building, under the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. The rules require that information be approved for public release by an authorizing official "before it is released, even if it is unclassified," and require accredited reporters to pledge not to solicit or publish such information without approval or lose their badges. The Pentagon called the rules "an important step in preventing leaks that damage operational security and national security." A federal judge ruled against the rules in March and April 2026, and the department has appealed (as of 2026-09-22).
- Tactics
- Access bans, Credential control, Prior restraint
- Stage
- Restrict
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Ongoing (9 April 2026). Judge Paul Friedman ruled against the credential-revocation provisions on 2026-03-20 and against the revised policy on 2026-04-09; the Department of Defense appealed.
- Sources
- 5
United States: News organizations turn in their Pentagon press credentials, October 2025
Beginning on October 15, 2025, reporters from at least 30 news organizations vacated the press workspace at the Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, rather than sign the department's new credential pledge, with a deadline of October 17 to remove their belongings. They included ABC News, NBC News, CBS News, Fox News, CNN, the Associated Press, Reuters, Bloomberg News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, NPR and Politico. One America News Network said it would sign. As of 2026-09-22, most of these outlets cover the Pentagon from outside the building.
- Tactics
- Access bans, Credential control
- Stage
- Restrict
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Ongoing (9 April 2026). Credentials were ordered restored for seven New York Times journalists on 2026-03-20; the ruling against the revised policy on 2026-04-09 is on appeal. Most other outlets remain outside the building.
- Sources
- 2
White House closes 'Upper Press' section of West Wing to reporters
The White House began requiring reporters to make appointments before entering the 'Upper Press' area of the West Wing, home to the press secretary's and senior press aides' offices, citing a need to protect sensitive material after accusing reporters of secretly recording conversations there.
- Tactics
- Access bans
- Stage
- Restrict
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Sustained. The restricted access to Upper Press remained in effect; the WHCA's objection did not lead to a reversal in the source reviewed.
- Sources
- 1
Appeals court orders FCC to respond to challenge over 'news distortion' policy
A bipartisan group of former Federal Communications Commission chairs, commissioners and the Radio Television Digital News Association petitioned a federal appeals court to force the FCC to act on a long-pending request to rescind its decades-old 'news distortion' policy after Chair Brendan Carr repeatedly invoked it against broadcasters; the court gave the FCC thirty days to respond.
- Stage
- Pressure
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Ongoing (28 April 2026). A federal appeals court ordered the FCC to respond to the mandamus petition within thirty days; the underlying policy remained unresolved.
- Sources
- 1
Customs officers seize Grayzone editor's phones at Virginia airport over Iran reporting
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped Grayzone editor Max Blumenthal at Washington Dulles Airport, questioned him about his reporting trips to Iran, and seized both of his phones without his consent; the phones were returned a week later after he sued.
- Tactics
- Surveillance and subpoenas
- Stage
- Punish
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Reversed (17 July 2026). Customs returned Blumenthal's phones after he sued; litigation continued into discovery over possible data extraction.
- Sources
- 1
CNN, MS NOW, Politico hard passes deactivated, 2026
On September 18, 2026, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be banned from the White House. The White House is the president's office and residence in Washington, D.C. He made the announcement on Truth Social, a social media platform, and in the Oval Office, and described the outlets' coverage as "FICTION and LIES." On September 19, 2026, the outlets' reporters were denied entry at the White House gates after their hard passes, the standing credentials that let reporters enter the White House press area without applying each day, were deactivated. The outlets sued on September 21, 2026. A federal judge ordered the passes restored on September 24, 2026, and the reporters regained entry around noon that day. On September 25, 2026, White House guidance left CNN off the press pool on Air Force One, the presidential aircraft, for the next day's trip. On September 28, 2026, the outlets asked the court for a preliminary injunction. On September 30, 2026, the White House removed CNN from the press pool for the president's October 1 trip, according to NBC News. On October 1, 2026, the court set a hearing on the preliminary injunction motion for October 8, 2026. On October 2, 2026, the defendants filed their opposition to the preliminary injunction motion. On October 5, 2026, the plaintiffs filed their reply, and the White House did not allow Politico on Air Force One for its turn in the print pool, according to CNN. On October 8, 2026, the court heard the preliminary injunction motion and extended the temporary restraining order through October 13, 2026, according to CBS News. On October 10, 2026, the Justice Department said it was investigating whether the White House television pool's halt of coverage violated antitrust law, according to the Associated Press. On October 13, 2026, the court granted a preliminary injunction barring the administration from banning the outlets from the White House complex while the lawsuit proceeds; it does not cover the Oval Office or Air Force One, according to NBC News. On October 14, 2026, the defendants appealed the injunction to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., according to the district court docket. On October 19, 2026, CNN's outside counsel sent the United States Department of Justice a demand letter over CNN's exclusion from Air Force One and pool duties, according to CNN. On October 24, 2026, Trump said in a social media post that he may move the White House press corps to a different location, according to Reuters. On October 28, 2026, the outlets filed an amended complaint adding a request for a court order allowing their journalists into other areas, including the Oval Office and Air Force One, according to Bloomberg. On November 4, 2026, the outlets filed a further motion for a preliminary injunction; on November 5 the court set a hearing on it for December 2, 2026, according to court records. The case is pending as of 2026-11-07.
- Tactics
- Access bans, Credential control
- Stage
- Restrict
- Head of government
- Donald Trump
- Outcome
- Ongoing (21 September 2026). Cable News Network, Inc. v. Trump (D.D.C. No. 1:26-cv-03287) was filed on 2026-09-21. On 2026-09-24 the court granted a temporary restraining order, in effect for 14 days, requiring the White House to reinstate the outlets' hard passes; the case is pending. On 2026-10-08 the court extended the order through 2026-10-13. On 2026-10-13 the court granted a preliminary injunction that keeps the outlets' access in place until the lawsuit is resolved. On 2026-10-14 the defendants filed a notice of appeal to the D.C. Circuit.
- Sources
- 33
- Trump announces CNN, MS NOW and Politico will be banned from the White House
- Secret Service deactivates the three outlets' hard passes; reporters denied entry
- WHCA statement on the White House's position on CNN, MS NOW and Politico
- Other pool networks decline to fill CNN's vacated rotating pool slot
- CNN, MS NOW and Politico file suit against Trump and the White House
- Trump administration files opposition to the outlets' motion for a temporary restraining order
- Hearing scheduled in Cable News Network, Inc. v. Trump
- Judge Timothy Kelly grants a temporary restraining order; White House told to reinstate the three outlets' hard passes
- Access restored after the order; CNN and MS NOW reporters denied entry to the state dinner arrival for Xi Jinping
- Outlets tell the court the White House has repeatedly violated the order; reporters regain entry around noon
- White House guidance replaces CNN with Real America's Voice News on Air Force One for the September 26 trip to Tennessee
- Network television pool resumes with CNN taking part
- No television pool travels on Air Force One to Tennessee after CNN is left off; the other pool networks decline to take its place
- Attorney General Todd Blanche says press access to the White House and Air Force One is a privilege
- Network television camera crew films the president's public events again, a day after no TV pool traveled
- CNN, MS NOW, Politico and three reporters file a motion for a preliminary injunction
- TIME reports that the network television pool is resuming its coverage of the president
- White House removes CNN from the press pool for the October 1 Texas and Oklahoma trip
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and 77 media organizations move to file an amicus brief
- Court sets the hearing on the preliminary injunction motion for October 8, 2026
- Judge grants the Society for the Rule of Law and Democracy leave to file an amicus brief
- NAACP moves to file an amicus brief supporting the preliminary injunction motion
- Defendants file opposition to the preliminary injunction motion
- Judge grants Reporters Committee and 77 media organizations leave to file an amicus brief
- Plaintiffs file reply in support of the preliminary injunction motion
- White House does not allow Politico on Air Force One for its print pool turn
- Court hears preliminary injunction motion and extends temporary restraining order to 2026-10-13
- Justice Department says it is investigating whether the White House television pool's halt of coverage violated antitrust law
- Judge Timothy Kelly grants a preliminary injunction barring the administration from banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House complex while the lawsuit proceeds
- Defendants file a notice of interlocutory appeal to the D.C. Circuit from the preliminary injunction order and opinion
- CNN's outside counsel sends the Justice Department a demand letter over CNN's exclusion from Air Force One and pool duties
- Trump says in a social media post he may move the White House press corps to a different location
- CNN, MS NOW and Politico file an amended complaint seeking access to the Oval Office and Air Force One
- Plaintiffs file a further motion for a preliminary injunction and request an expedited hearing
- Court sets briefing deadlines and a December 2, 2026 hearing on the further preliminary injunction motion
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press moves to file an amicus brief on the further preliminary injunction motion
How it got here
The earlier record, from 1917 to 2024, by decade.
The 1900s
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 March 1909 | United States: President Theodore Roosevelt seeks criminal libel indictments against the New York World and the Indianapolis News over Panama Canal reporting | Insult and defamation laws | Punish | Theodore Roosevelt | Reversed (3 January 1911) |
The 1910s
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 | United States Postmaster General Burleson strips the Milwaukee Leader of its mailing rate | Shutdowns and blocking | Silence | Woodrow Wilson | Upheld by a court (7 March 1921) |
| 1917 | United States convicts Mother Earth editor Emma Goldman of draft conspiracy and bars her magazine from the mail | Detention and violence | Punish | Woodrow Wilson | Upheld by a court (14 January 1918) |
| July 1917 | United States postmaster bars the magazine The Masses from the mail under the Espionage Act | Secrets and espionage laws | Silence | Woodrow Wilson | Upheld by a court (1 November 1917) |
| 26 June 1918 | United States convicts newspaper editor Jacob Frohwerk under the Espionage Act, June 1918 | Secrets and espionage laws | Punish | Woodrow Wilson | Upheld by a court (10 March 1919) |
The 1920s
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 June 1925 | United States: Supreme Court upholds Benjamin Gitlow's conviction under New York's Criminal Anarchy Law, 1925 | Secrets and espionage laws | Punish | Alfred E. Smith | Upheld by a court (8 June 1925) |
| 1927 | Minnesota closes The Saturday Press in 1927; the Supreme Court strikes down the law in 1931 | Prior restraint | Silence | Theodore Christianson | Reversed (1 June 1931) |
The 1930s
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 July 1934 | United States: Louisiana taxes large newspapers' advertising revenue; the tax is struck down in Grosjean v. American Press Co. | Funding and ownership pressure | Pressure | Oscar K. Allen | Reversed (10 February 1936) |
| 28 March 1938 | United States: Supreme Court strikes down a Georgia city's permit requirement for distributing literature, 1938 | Prior restraint | Silence | Eurith D. Rivers | Reversed (28 March 1938) |
The 1940s
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 December 1941 | United States creates an Office of Censorship and a wartime code for the press | Prior restraint | Pressure | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Sustained (28 September 1945) |
| August 1942 | United States: Justice Department investigates the Chicago Tribune under the Espionage Act over Battle of Midway coverage | Secrets and espionage laws | Pressure | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Reversed (1 August 1942) |
The 1950s
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | United States: Senator Joseph McCarthy's subcommittee questions New York Post editor James Wechsler, 1953 | Surveillance and subpoenas | Pressure | Dwight D. Eisenhower | Unknown |
| 19 September 1955 | United States: Tallahatchie County, Mississippi sheriff segregates Black reporters at the Emmett Till murder trial, September 1955 | Access bans | Restrict | Hugh L. White | Sustained |
| November 1955 | United States Senate panel subpoenas dozens of New York Times journalists over Communist ties | Surveillance and subpoenas | Punish | Dwight D. Eisenhower | Sustained (1 December 1956) |
The 1960s
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | United States: Montgomery, Alabama commissioner sues The New York Times for libel over a civil rights advertisement | Lawsuits against the press | Punish | John Patterson | Reversed (9 March 1964) |
| 24 September 1962 | United States: Texas judge allows televised pretrial hearing in the Billie Sol Estes case; Supreme Court later limits cameras in criminal courtrooms | Access bans | Restrict | Price Daniel | Reversed (7 June 1965) |
| 1969 | United States Supreme Court rules reporters have no privilege to refuse grand jury subpoenas | Surveillance and subpoenas | Punish | Richard Nixon | Upheld by a court (29 June 1972) |
The 1970s
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 April 1971 | United States police search a student newspaper's offices for photographs of a protest | Surveillance and subpoenas | Pressure | Ronald Reagan | Upheld by a court (31 May 1978) |
| 15 June 1971 | United States government seeks an injunction to stop The New York Times publishing the Pentagon Papers | Prior restraint | Silence | Richard Nixon | Reversed (30 June 1971) |
| 16 August 1971 | Nixon White House compiles an enemies list naming journalists for official pressure | Surveillance and subpoenas | Pressure | Richard Nixon | Reversed (27 June 1973) |
| 9 September 1971 | United States: Nixon White House "enemies list" naming journalists, September 1971 | Surveillance and subpoenas | Pressure | Richard Nixon | Unknown |
| 27 October 1975 | United States judge bars the press from reporting a murder suspect's confession before trial | Prior restraint | Silence | J. James Exon | Reversed (30 June 1976) |
The 1980s
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 October 1983 | United States military bars journalists from the invasion of Grenada | Access bans | Restrict | Ronald Reagan | Reversed (1 April 1985) |
| 1985 | United States: Espionage Act conviction of Samuel Loring Morison for leaking satellite photographs to Jane's Defence Weekly, 1985 to 1988 | Secrets and espionage laws | Punish | Ronald Reagan | Upheld by a court (1 January 1988) |
| 20 December 1989 | United States: Pentagon press pool kept from the opening hours of the Panama invasion, December 1989 | Access bans | Restrict | George H. W. Bush | Ongoing (6 April 1990) |
The 1990s
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 March 1990 | United States Supreme Court strikes down Florida law barring a reporter from discussing his own grand jury testimony | Secrets and espionage laws | Silence | Bob Martinez | Reversed (21 March 1990) |
| 8 November 1990 | United States federal court bars CNN from broadcasting recordings of Manuel Noriega's calls with his lawyers | Prior restraint | Silence | George H. W. Bush | Upheld by a court (18 November 1990) |
| 17 January 1991 | United States military restricts reporters to escorted press pools during the Gulf War | Access bans | Restrict | George H. W. Bush | Sustained (28 February 1991) |
The 2000s
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 February 2003 | Pentagon sets ground rules for journalists embedded with United States forces in Iraq | Access bans | Restrict | George W. Bush | Sustained (14 April 2003) |
| 6 July 2005 | New York Times reporter Judith Miller jailed for refusing to name a confidential source in the Valerie Plame affair | Surveillance and subpoenas | Punish | George W. Bush | Upheld by a court (29 September 2005) |
The 2010s
The 2020s, to 2024
Tactics in use now and where they have led
For each tactic with a United States incident dated 2025 or later: the United States rows, the furthest stage the same tactic has reached elsewhere in the record, and the full ladder.
Access bans
Elsewhere in the record, this tactic has reached the stage Silence: Tanzania, 2025 (RSF 2026 rank: 117th of 180); South Africa, 1985 (RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180).
The full ladder for access bans
Credential control
| Date | Incident | Stage | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 February 2025 | United States: White House takes over selection of the presidential press pool, February 2025 | Restrict | Sustained (22 September 2026) |
| 19 September 2025 | United States: Department of Defense press credential rules requiring approval before release of information, September 2025 | Restrict | Ongoing (9 April 2026) |
| 15 October 2025 | United States: News organizations turn in their Pentagon press credentials, October 2025 | Restrict | Ongoing (9 April 2026) |
| 18 September 2026 | CNN, MS NOW, Politico hard passes deactivated, 2026 | Restrict | Ongoing (21 September 2026) |
Elsewhere in the record, this tactic has reached the stage Silence: Spain, 1938 (RSF 2026 rank: 29th of 180); Germany, 1933 (RSF 2026 rank: 14th of 180).
The full ladder for credential control
Licensing and closure of outlets
| Date | Incident | Stage | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 September 2025 | United States: Federal Communications Commission chairman's remarks and the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, September 2025 | Pressure | Reversed (23 September 2025) |
Elsewhere in the record, this tactic has reached the stage Eliminate: Hong Kong, 2025 (RSF 2026 rank: 140th of 180).
The full ladder for licensing and closure of outlets
Prior restraint
| Date | Incident | Stage | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 September 2025 | United States: Department of Defense press credential rules requiring approval before release of information, September 2025 | Restrict | Ongoing (9 April 2026) |
Elsewhere in the record, this tactic has reached the stage Eliminate: Argentina, 1976 (RSF 2026 rank: 98th of 180).
The full ladder for prior restraint
Surveillance and subpoenas
| Date | Incident | Stage | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 April 2025 | United States: Department of Justice rescission of rules limiting subpoenas of journalists, April 2025 | Pressure | Sustained (25 April 2025) |
| 10 July 2026 | Customs officers seize Grayzone editor's phones at Virginia airport over Iran reporting | Punish | Reversed (17 July 2026) |
Elsewhere in the record, this tactic has reached the stage Punish: Bangladesh, 2025 (RSF 2026 rank: 152nd of 180); Hungary, 2021 (RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180); Morocco, 2020 (RSF rank: not recorded); Australia, 2020 (RSF 2026 rank: 33rd of 180).
The full ladder for surveillance and subpoenas
Funding and ownership pressure
Elsewhere in the record, this tactic has reached the stage Silence: Argentina, 2024 (RSF 2026 rank: 98th of 180); Poland, 2021 (RSF 2026 rank: 27th of 180); Hungary, 2018 (RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180); Türkiye, 2018 (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180).
The full ladder for funding and ownership pressure
Detention and violence
| Date | Incident | Stage | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 June 2025 | Officer shoots Australian journalist with rubber bullet during Los Angeles immigration protests | Punish | Unknown |
Elsewhere in the record, this tactic has reached the stage Eliminate: Hong Kong, 2025 (RSF 2026 rank: 140th of 180); Guatemala, 2023 (RSF 2026 rank: 128th of 180); Russia, 2023 (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180); Belarus, 2023 (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180).
The full ladder for detention and violence
Lawsuits against the press
| Date | Incident | Stage | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 April 2025 | 60 Minutes executive producer resigns, citing lost editorial independence | Pressure | Sustained (22 April 2025) |
| 1 July 2025 | United States: Paramount settlement of Donald Trump's lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview, July 2025 | Pressure | Sustained (1 July 2025) |
| 18 July 2025 | Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over Epstein birthday letter story | Pressure | Ongoing |
| 15 September 2025 | Trump files, then refiles, $15 billion defamation suit against the New York Times | Pressure | Ongoing (16 October 2025) |
Elsewhere in the record, this tactic has reached the stage Punish: Türkiye, 2022 (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180); Philippines, 2020 (RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180); Philippines, 1901 (RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180).
The full ladder for lawsuits against the press
Official labels
| Date | Incident | Stage | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 January 2025 | FCC chair reopens 'news distortion' complaints against CBS and NBC | Pressure | Ongoing |
Elsewhere in the record, this tactic has reached the stage Eliminate: Nicaragua, 2023 (RSF 2026 rank: 168th of 180).
The full ladder for official labels
The law
| Case | Court | Filed | Decided | Status | Holding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherrill v. Knight | United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit | 15 December 1977 | decided | The D.C. Circuit held that the protection the First Amendment gives to newsgathering requires that White House press access not be denied arbitrarily or for less than compelling reasons, and that due process requires "notice of the factual… | |
| Cable News Network, Inc. v. Trump | U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | 13 November 2018 | 16 November 2018 | dismissed | Judge Timothy J. Kelly granted CNN a temporary restraining order requiring the White House to reinstate Jim Acosta's hard pass, on due process grounds drawn from Sherrill v. Knight. The White House restored the pass and CNN dropped the sui… |
| Associated Press v. Budowich | U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit | 21 February 2025 | 6 June 2025 | on appeal | The district court (Judge Trevor N. McFadden, 2025-04-08) granted a preliminary injunction ordering AP's access restored and then stayed it pending appeal. A D.C. Circuit panel (Judges Pillard, Katsas and Rao, 2025-06-06) granted a partial… |
| Cable News Network, Inc. v. Trump | U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | 21 September 2026 | pending | Not yet decided. Status as of 2026-09-22: Pending. |
Sources
The sources cited by the 2025 and 2026 incidents above, newest first. Each incident's own page lists its sources with the claims they support.
- CNN Adds Air Force One Access to Suit Over Trump White House Ban
- Trump Says He May Move White House Press Corps
- CNN warns Trump White House: Restore Air Force One access or face further legal action
- Federal judge issues longer-term decision blocking Trump's White House media ban
- DOJ says it's investigating whether White House TV pool's coverage halt violated antitrust law
- Judge presses Justice Department on justifications for White House media ban
- White House blocks Politico from Air Force One amid press access lawsuit
- White House removes CNN from press pool for Trump's upcoming trip to Texas and Oklahoma
- TV Networks Resume White House Pool Coverage, With a Caveat
- CNN, MS NOW and Politico ask judge to stop Trump from reviving White House ban
- Blanche says president has right to restrict access to White House and Air Force One
- Are the TV networks still covering Trump? It's complicated.
- CNN left off Air Force One for Trump's upcoming trip, White House signals in new media restriction
- CNN says it was left off Air Force One for Trump's Saturday trip to college football game
- Press pool dispute escalates as White House cuts CNN from Air Force One travel
- A White House Press Ban Was Lifted This Week. but the Tensions and Legal Battle Aren't Over Yet
- White House bars CNN from covering Trump on behalf of major TV networks as he travels to Tennessee
- CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters have access restored to White House after judge orders ban lifted
- Judge orders Trump administration to immediately reinstate White House access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico
- Some CNN, MS NOW journalists barred from state dinner event amid access fight
- News outlets will ask judge to end Trump's White House ban at hearing
- What is the White House pool? These days, it's a battleground between Trump and free press rights archived copy
- Judge sets hearing in CNN, MS NOW, Politico lawsuit over Trump ban archived copy
- Did Biden cut off 440 reporters' credentials? PolitiFact rates a viral claim archived copy
- Major TV networks stand with CNN, decline to replace its White House pool crew archived copy
- Other networks decline to fill CNN's White House pool slot archived copy
- Trump banning CNN, MS NOW, Politico from White House archived copy
- 'A ban on the free press': White House bars journalists from three outlets archived copy
- Trump says CNN, MS NOW and Politico will be banned from the White House archived copy
- White House Turns Away CNN, MS NOW, Politico Reporters After Trump Announces Ban archived copy
- Trump claims he will ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House archived copy
- Statement on White House Position on CNN, MSNOW and Politico archived copy
- Editor questioned by officials at Virginia airport; phone seized and searched
- Trump v. New York Times Company, 8:25-cv-02487 (M.D. Fla.) archived copy
- Court Gives FCC 30 Days To Answer Challenge Over News Distortion Policy
- Federal judge finds Pentagon in violation of court order to restore reporters' access archived copy
- White House restricts reporter access to press secretary, staff's offices
- Pentagon press restrictions: what outlets are doing
- Why is Jimmy Kimmel returning to ABC, what did his suspension cost Disney?
- Wall Street Journal Seeks to Dismiss Trump's Defamation Lawsuit Over Epstein Letter Story
- Journalists forced to obtain approval to publish stories in new Pentagon restrictions archived copy
- Defense Secretary Hegseth requires new 'pledge' for Pentagon reporters archived copy
- FCC's Brendan Carr and the Kimmel suspension archived copy
- Trump files $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the New York Times
- FCC approves Paramount-Skydance merger
- Public Law 119-28, Rescissions Act of 2025 (H.R. 4)
- Congress rolls back $9 billion in public media funding and foreign aid
- Trump files defamation suit over 'Wall Street Journal' story on his Epstein ties
- Paramount, President Trump reach $16 million settlement over '60 Minutes' lawsuit
- Australian reporter covering Los Angeles immigration protests hit by rubber bullet on live TV
- Trump's attacks on press freedom escalate: NPR, PBS funding cuts explained archived copy
- Trump says he's ending federal funding for NPR and PBS. They say he can't
- Brendan Carr targets news outlets as chair of the FCC
- DOJ rescinds news media guidelines: analysis archived copy
- '60 Minutes' chief resigns, saying show's independence was compromised
- Associated Press, Reuters rip Trump White House for cutting wire service slot in press pool
- The Trump White House is axing the wire service spot from the coverage pool, the latest salvo in its battle with the AP
- Judge orders AP's Oval Office, Air Force One access restored archived copy
- Widakuswara v. Kari Lake, temporary restraining order archived copy
- Judge invalidates Trump administration's attempts to dismantle Voice of America archived copy
- Voice of America journalists sue Trump administration, Kari Lake over shutdown archived copy
- Voice of America's full-time staff and contractors placed on leave following Trump directive archived copy
- USAGM complies with presidential executive order to reduce the federal bureaucracy archived copy
- US judge refuses to immediately overturn Trump's AP White House ban archived copy
- WHCA Statement on White House Announcement on Press Pool archived copy
- AP sues White House officials over Gulf of America access ban archived copy
- White House bans Associated Press from Oval Office, Air Force One archived copy
- White House blocks AP reporter from Oval Office event over 'Gulf of America' policy archived copy
- Border Czar Tom Homan: ICE Media 'Ride Alongs' May End Due To Safety
- Judge blocks enforcement of Louisiana's 25-foot buffer zone for police
- Judge blocks enforcement of Louisiana's 25-foot buffer zone for police archived copy
- Halo Law goes into effect in Florida
- Cable News Network, Inc. v. Trump, 1:26-cv-03287 (D.D.C.)
- New buffer zone laws in Louisiana and Florida: their impact on journalists' First Amendment rights archived copy
- Associated Press v. Budowich archived copy
- 2025 Pentagon press pass forfeiture archived copy
- Executive Order 14290
- White House shakes up press pool archived copy
RSF rank: World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders.