Gage says excluding critical journalists deprives the public of information
Beverly GageYale University historian; plaintiff
Gage says that when the White House excludes journalists because it objects to their reporting, the public loses information it needs to hold leaders accountable, and historians lose information they need for their work.
“It also deprives historians like me, who serve a broad public audience, of the information and knowledge we need to share our work.”
Official statement
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
The Knight Institute publishes the plaintiffs' own statements explaining their challenge to White House press restrictions.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Gage, a Yale historian and one of the six plaintiffs, says independent journalism is essential for understanding government, and that excluding journalists over their reporting deprives Americans of information they need to hold leaders accountable.
After the quotation
She adds that the real losers in the case are Americans who have lost the ability to receive vital information about their government.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The conduct at issue is excluding White House journalists because of their coverage. This statement expressly criticizes those restrictions.
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The Dispute Index. "Gage says excluding critical journalists deprives the public of information". First published: 2026-10-27. Last updated: 2026-10-27. https://disputeindex.com/events/6905-gage-says-that-when-the-white-house-excludes