PEN America says the White House can't be allowed to decide which journalists cover the president based on their coverage
PEN AmericaJournalism and disinformation program director at PEN America, a free expression organization, in the organization's statement
In a statement after Trump's announcement, Tim Richardson, journalism and disinformation program director at PEN America, said someone needs to explain to the president how the First Amendment works. He said the administration's hostility toward the press is about its inability to withstand scrutiny, not the accuracy of news stories, and that the White House can't be allowed to decide which journalists are able to cover the president based on the content of their news coverage.
“Someone needs to explain to President Trump how the First Amendment works, As we’ve seen time and time again, this administration’s hostility toward the press is never about the accuracy of news stories, but about its inability to withstand scrutiny of its actions. The White House can’t be allowed to decide which journalists are able to cover the president based on the content of their news coverage.”
Official statement
Reporting
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
Official statement
About this source
PEN America's weekly roundup of its public statements, posted September 25, 2026, which repeats Richardson's comments on the exclusion of CNN, MS NOW and Politico and links the news stories that quoted him.
Reporting
About this source
Christian Science Monitor report by its Washington bureau chief, published September 18, 2026, on Trump's announcement and reactions to it. It carries the fullest version of PEN America's statement.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Associated Press report from September 18, 2026, as carried by KCRG, on Trump's announcement that he was barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House and on the reactions to it.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Earlier on September 18, 2026, Trump wrote on Truth Social that, effective immediately, "I am banning" CNN, MS NOW and Politico "from the White House," and in the Oval Office he called the outlets fake news, the Associated Press reported.
After the quotation
The Associated Press reported that the National Press Club and the Freedom of the Press Foundation also criticized the announcement, and that Trump did not say how the ban would be carried out.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is President Trump's announcement that he is excluding CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House because of their coverage. PEN America says the administration's hostility toward the press is about its inability to withstand scrutiny, not accuracy, and that the White House can't be allowed to decide which journalists cover the president based on the content of their coverage. That rejects the exclusion, so we labeled it Condemned.
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The Dispute Index. "PEN America says the White House can't be allowed to decide which journalists cover the president based on their coverage". First published: 2026-09-30. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/3424-in-a-statement-after-trump-s-announcement-tim