NABJ condemns Trump’s White House press ban targeting CNN, MS NOW and Politico

The journalism organization says government officials should not use press access to reward favorable coverage or punish outlets that scrutinize them

The National Association of Black Journalists is condemning President Donald Trump’s decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, saying government officials should not use press access to punish news organizations for critical coverage.

In a statement released Friday, NABJ President Errin Haines said journalists have a responsibility to hold people in power accountable and that officials cannot “reward reporting they find favorable with access, or withhold access as punishment for journalists who have scrutinized or criticized them.”

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“The White House belongs to the American people, and they have a right to know what their government is doing,” Haines said. “Journalists must be free to ask difficult questions and report the answers.”

The statement came after Trump announced Friday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from the White House, accusing the outlets of publishing what he called “FAKE NEWS” and “FICTION and LIES.” Trump also suggested that other news organizations could face similar restrictions.

MS NOW White House correspondent Akayla Gardner described being denied access during a live report from outside the White House on Saturday morning. Gardner said an officer asked her to hand over her press badge after it was deactivated.

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“The officer asked me to hand over my badge. He said that it was disabled,” Gardner said. When she asked why she could not enter, she said the officer told her the decision was “above him.”

Gardner said an MS NOW producer who was with her was allowed to enter, while an MS NOW photographer also had their badge taken. She called it the first known instance of the network’s journalists being denied entry to the White House following Trump’s announcement.

MS NOW said Saturday that it “intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.”

Politico reporter Cheyenne Haslett was also denied entry to the White House on Saturday, according to reports. Politico Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Greenberger said the publication would “vigorously defend” its First Amendment rights.

CNN has also pushed back against the president’s announcement.

“CNN stands fully behind our White House team and their fair and accurate reporting,” the network said Friday. CNN said it has a constitutional right to report without government interference and described the threatened ban as an “illegal assault” on that right.

Politico similarly said it would continue reporting on the White House and future administrations and would defend its First Amendment rights against attempts to restrict its coverage. The publication also disputed Trump’s claim that the federal government provided it with an $8 million subsidy, saying the claim was false and had been “thoroughly debunked.”

The National Press Club also condemned Trump’s announcement. National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. said barring news organizations based on the administration’s disapproval of their coverage would attempt to control which voices can witness and report on the exercise of presidential power.

“A free press exists to ask difficult questions, uncover uncomfortable facts, and inform the American people,” Schoeff said in a statement.

PEN America also criticized the move. Tim Richardson, the organization’s journalism and disinformation director, said the administration’s conflict with the press is not about the accuracy of news coverage but its response to scrutiny of government actions.

Trump has not identified a specific story or report that prompted the decision. When asked Friday why he was banning the outlets, he said the decision was based on their coverage over time.

“It’s really just cumulative stories. Over the last two years, you get sick of it,” Trump said.

Trump also criticized The New York Times and The Washington Post but did not announce bans against either publication. He said other outlets could be subject to similar restrictions.

The confrontation also comes more than two years after NABJ invited Trump to participate in its 2024 annual convention in Chicago, where he faced questions from Black journalists about his record and his treatment of the Black press. NABJ said at the time that it had invited presidential candidates during election years and emphasized that the invitation was not an endorsement.

Trump’s appearance became contentious before and during the event. Karen Attiah, who was serving as a convention co-chair, resigned after the invitation was announced, saying she had not been consulted about the decision to platform Trump.

During the discussion, ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott challenged Trump over his record on race and his past criticism of Black journalists. NABJ later defended the Black women journalists who questioned Trump, including Scott, Fox News’ Harris Faulkner and Semafor’s Kadia Goba.

After the event, longtime Black journalist April Ryan criticized Trump’s treatment of Scott and questioned NABJ’s decision to host him.

For NABJ, the current dispute is part of a broader concern about the ability of journalists to report independently without retaliation from government officials.

Haines concluded the organization’s statement by emphasizing the role of the press in a democracy.

“A free and independent press is not a privilege granted at the discretion of any president,” she said. “It is a cornerstone of a healthy and functioning democracy. The First Amendment can never be optional.”

As of Saturday, the White House had not announced additional media bans beyond CNN, MS NOW and Politico, although Trump has suggested other outlets could be targeted.