NABJ says officials cannot “reward reporting they find favorable with access, or withhold access as punishment”
National Association of Black JournalistsNational journalism professional organization, in a statement from its president, Errin Haines
In a statement, National Association of Black Journalists 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." She said "the White House belongs to the American people, and they have a right to know what their government is doing," and that "journalists must be free to ask difficult questions and report the answers."
“The White House belongs to the American people, and they have a right to know what their government is doing. Journalists must be free to ask difficult questions and report the answers.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Should President Trump bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over their coverage?
On Friday, September 18, 2026, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that, "effective immediately, I am banning" CNN, MS NOW and Politico "from the White House as a result of their constant 'reporting' FAKE NEWS!" About an hour later, in the Oval Office, he said no particular story prompted the decision, that he does not want the outlets "in my office," and that "somebody has a right to keep them away" if outlets write false stories. The three outlets and press-freedom groups oppose the exclusion, citing constitutional protection for the press, and the White House Correspondents' Association said it "stands in defense of our colleagues at CNN, MSNOW, and POLITICO." On Saturday, September 19, MS NOW, CNN and Politico said their White House reporters were refused entry and had press passes confiscated; the White House referred questions to Trump's earlier remarks. The dispute is over whether President Trump should exclude named news organizations from White House access over what they report.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
theGrio's report on NABJ's statement and on MS NOW correspondent Akayla Gardner's and Politico reporter Cheyenne Haslett's accounts of being denied White House access.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The statement came the same day Trump announced the ban, accusing the outlets of publishing "FAKE NEWS" and "FICTION and LIES" and suggesting other outlets could face similar restrictions.
After the quotation
theGrio separately reports that MS NOW correspondent Akayla Gardner and a photographer had their credentials taken the next morning, and that Politico reporter Cheyenne Haslett was also denied entry.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to Trump's decision to exclude CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House access because of their coverage, NABJ states that press access cannot be used to reward or punish coverage, directly rejecting the premise of the exclusion.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- CNN, MS NOW, Politico
More from this case
Read the full caseBoutrous distinguishes pool-size limits from retaliation for reporting
“It’s retaliation for speech. That violates the First Amendment.”Read statement
White House says no journalist has a right to Oval Office or Air Force One access
The White House
“No person and no journalist has a constitutional right to access to the President's Oval Office, Air Force One, or other sensitive and private facilities.”Read statement
Schiff says White House press exclusions also harm the public
“When a reporter is denied access to the White House, it isn't just that news organization that suffers. The American people rely on a free press to know what their government is up to, and whether it is acting wisely and lawfully.”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- NABJ says officials cannot “reward reporting they find favorable with access, or withhold access as punishment”
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/1427-in-a-statement-national-association-of-black-journalists
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "NABJ says officials cannot “reward reporting they find favorable with access, or withhold access as punishment”". First published: 2026-09-22. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1427-in-a-statement-national-association-of-black-journalists