Denial of Access

Total cases	36

White House bars four print reporters from covering dinner between U.S., North Korea leaders

March 4, 2019

One day into President Trump’s diplomatic trip to Vietnam, the White House banned four U.S. journalists traveling in the press …

Unprecedented criminal complaint filed for violations of the Georgia Open Records Act

February 26, 2019

The Georgia state attorney general filed the first-ever criminal complaint in connection with the Georgia Open Records Act on Feb. …

Trump stops regular press briefings, citing unfair media treatment

January 23, 2019

President Trump revealed in a tweet on Jan. 22, that the lack of regular White House press briefings was the …

White House intern reaches for Jim Acosta's microphone

White House suspends CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press credentials and falsely accuses him of manhandling intern

November 8, 2018

On November 7, 2018, the White House suspended CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press pass, banning him from setting foot on …

Iowa congressman Steve King denies at least four journalists access to election party

November 6, 2018

The congressman’s son said that campaign views the Register as “leftist propaganda”

Bill Shine, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Kellyanne Conway

White House bans CNN reporter from event for ‘inappropriate’ questions

July 26, 2018

The event was open to all members of the press — at least, all members of the press except for Kaitlan Collins.

The Nation reporter forcibly removed from Trump–Putin press conference

July 16, 2018

Sam Husseini, an op-ed reporter for The Nation, was forcibly removed from a press briefing between President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland, on July 16, 2018.Husseini is the communications director of the nonprofit Institute for Public Accuracy, which connects reporters with progressive experts as alternative sources. He was attending the presser as an accredited member of the press, reporting on behalf of The Nation magazine.NBC reports that two men approached Husseini just before the press …

Independent journalist Matt Lee forcibly removed from UN, stripped of press credentials

August 20, 2018

Matt Lee — an independent journalist who covers the United Nations — was forcibly removed by security from the UN …

More Incidents

How we track Denials Of Access

Denial of access to government events that are traditionally open or attended by the press and where the denial of access either deprives the public of significant information, appears to be retaliatory, or is done without meaningful justification. Concrete changes in policy or practice to restrict or deny access may also be included in this category.

Denial of access to individuals in some cases, such as where the available space limits the number of journalists allowed to attend or where individuals arguing for access do not meet reasonable standards for credentials, can be seen as meaningful justifications and will not be included.