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Pitt | Culture > News

Banned From The White House?

Jenna Woelke Student Contributor, University of Pittsburgh
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Pitt chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Freedom of the press is a concept we all learned about in our early social studies classes and is probably something we shoved to the back of our minds, along with the three branches of government and the capital of South Dakota. So, what do you do when you have worked in the same building doing the same job for years, and this freedom is physically ripped from under you? 

Well, that’s exactly what happened to a group of journalists from MS NOW, CNN, and Politico last week. 

What actually happened? 

On September 19, 2026, journalists from three major news outlets were turned away at the gates of the White House and had their press credentials confiscated by the Secret Service. This followed President Trump’s announcement the day before saying that he was banning these outlets over coverage he called “fiction” and “lies.” 

He also gave a warning to other channels that if he didn’t like what they were saying, they could be next. “The officer asked me to hand over my badge. He said that it was disabled,” MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner said. “I asked why I was not able to get inside. He said it was above him.” 

Wait, this happened before?

Despite this being one of the most straightforward violations in many years, this is definitely not the first time the Trump administration has been in a dispute with the press. 

  • 2018: The White House revoked CNN correspondent Jim Acosta’s press pass after claiming he put his hands on an intern. After reviewing video footage, the interaction didn’t clearly support the description. CNN sued Donald Trump, and after a couple of days, a federal judge temporarily restored Acosta’s credentials.  
  • 2025: Reporters from the Associated Press were prohibited from entering the Oval Office and Air Force One after refusing to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” in its style guide. This led to the AP filing a lawsuit against White House officials. Following this legal fight, the DC Court of Appeals continued to allow restricted access to high-profile areas. 

Why is this so controversial (and unconstitutional)?

This fight dates back to a 1977 case, Sherrill v Knight. The ruling of this case explained that if the White House opens its grounds to journalists, it cannot randomly decide to deny them access. These reporters should be notified of their exclusion and informed of why it is occurring. With this, they are given some opportunity to formally respond. Legal experts are seriously concerned and see real problems with this. Jameel Jaffer of Columbia’s Knight First Amendment Institute called the move “pretty clearly unconstitutional.” This ban raises an important question. An exclusion of one outlet today sets a new standard for this to continue to happen. 

So, why does this matter?

This story matters way beyond the courtroom. Looking at the bigger picture, for someone who would love a career in politics or journalism, this isn’t just another political news story. I want to walk into a newsroom or briefing because I do my job well, not because someone above me liked the wording I used in a story. 

This is not just about protecting journalists’ jobs (which is still extremely important); it is also about making sure these reporters have the outlet to share the stories we need to hear. It’s pretty easy to enter this field and think that the freedom of the press is something you are automatically given, but as we can see, that’s not always the case. It is something that must be defended and preserved. 

As we know, there are two sides to every story. Differing perspectives would argue that Trump has the authority to decide who gets close access, and that being excluded from a press pool isn’t the same as being censored, mainly because these outlets are still free to publish whatever they want. 

What can you do? 

You don’t need proper credentials or a fancy press badge to care about this. If you plan on a career in journalism or any form of it, this is a real story that truly matters to us. 

So, who actually gets to decide what is “real” news? If the answer to that question continues to be “whoever is in power at the time,” then you should feel a little uncomfortable, no matter which side of the political spectrum you choose to lean toward. 

Jenna Woelke

Pitt '29

Jenna Woelke is a Sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh and a member of Her Campus. She is currently majoring in media and professional communications on the corporate/community relations track with plans to pursue a double minor in information science and sociology, as well as a certificate in professional writing. In addition to Her Campus, Jenna is a member of Omega Phi Alpha. In her free time, she loves to run/walk outside, go to the gym, get coffee, play the piano, spend time with family and friends, and travel!