Press Access Audit Tool

Each restriction type maps to established First Amendment framework:

• Credential denial/revocation — Sherill v. Knight (D.C. Cir. 1977): due process required for White House press passes.
• Physical area exclusion — Houchins v. KQED (1978): no general right of access, but viewpoint discrimination forbidden.
• Questioning limits — Acosta v. Trump (D.D.C. 2018): hard passes cannot be revoked without due process.
• Retaliatory access — Bantam Books v. Sullivan (1963): informal pressure violating First Amendment.
• Surveillance — Laird v. Tatum (1972) / Clapper v. Amnesty (2013): chilling effect standards.

Add each incident as a separate entry. The tool analyzes the restriction type and surfaces the controlling legal framework and key precedents. Filter or sort by status to track active disputes. All data stays in your browser — nothing is transmitted.

JSON — machine-readable for ingestion into case management or analysis pipelines. Text report — formatted for briefings, FOIA requests, or court filings. Both include incident details, legal analysis, and timestamps.

This tool was inspired by the September 2026 federal hearing on whether to restore White House access for CNN, MSNBC, and Politico after the Trump administration announced a ban. The case illustrates credential revocation, area exclusion, and retaliatory access theories — all modeled in the restriction types above.

This tool provides legal framework, not legal advice. Precedent varies by circuit and forum. Government forums (traditional public, designated public, limited public, nonpublic) trigger different standards. Consult qualified counsel for litigation decisions.

All incidents are stored locally in your browser (localStorage). They persist across sessions but never leave your device. Clear all data with the "Clear all incidents" button.