SAJA says restricting journalists over their coverage undermines their role and calls for equitable access
South Asian Journalists AssociationProfessional organization for South Asian journalists, in a statement
The South Asian Journalists Association urged President Trump to restore White House access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico. It said restricting journalists because of their coverage undermines their role, and called for press access to be provided equitably without retaliation for legitimate news coverage.
“Restricting journalists because of their coverage undermines that essential role and raises serious concerns about the ability of the press to operate independently.”
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
The American Bazaar's report on a statement the South Asian Journalists Association issued Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. It quotes SAJA calling on the White House to restore access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists and to provide press access equitably without retaliation for coverage. We read this report; we did not locate the statement on SAJA's own site.
Before the quotation
SAJA issued its statement on Tuesday, September 22, the day after the three outlets filed their lawsuit.
After the quotation
The American Bazaar reported the statement alongside the outlets' joint statement that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes.
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, SAJA says restricting journalists over their coverage undermines the press's role and urges that access be restored. That opposes the exclusion, so we labeled it Condemned.
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The Dispute Index. "SAJA says restricting journalists over their coverage undermines their role and calls for equitable access". First published: 2026-09-26. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/2806-the-south-asian-journalists-association-urged-president-trump