Name: Reporters call out Biden administration for lack of transparency at the US-Mexico border | CNN Business
Brand: cnn.com
SKU: cnn-com-1186
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

Reporters call out Biden administration for lack of transparency at the US-Mexico border | CNN Business

preview

MarketsFeaturedFear &amp; Greed IndexLatestBy , CNN BusinessLink Copied!Ad Feedback&nbsp;—&nbsp;A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter.Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas traveled to the US-Mexico border on Friday with a group of bipartisan senators. Typically on such a trip, a cabinet secretary and lawmakers would be accompanied by reporters or a member of the White House press pool to feed notes back to newsrooms.But on this trip, the Biden administration blocked that from happening.It’s part of a larger pattern of restricted media access at the southern US border — despite and the fact that amid .The lack of access was repeatedly pointed out by journalists this week. A number of live-shots from the border have ended with a reporter pointing out that officials denied access to the facilities holding migrant children.In a , Radio Television Digital News Foundation Executive Director Dan Shelley blasted the Biden administration for failing on its promise of transparency. “The President promised things would be different,” Shelley said. “Turns out he was right, but in this case not the way we had hoped. The Trump administration allowed journalists into juvenile migrant detention facilities.”Shelleyto “immediately” allow journalists access to Border Patrol processing facilities and officials.“At a time when the southern border of the United States is undergoing a historic surge of migrants, it is more important than ever that journalists be allowed the necessary access to report accurately and independently on the Border Patrol’s response to the increased arrival of migrants and the well being of those housed in Border Patrol facilities,” he said.The Trump administration did permit access to the facilities and provided the press with photos. But it was for a very different reason, as NBC’s Jacob Soboroff pointed out.“The Trump administration let us in. And they let us in because they wanted to explain to us and show us the cruelty of the separation policy,” in an on-air appearance Thursday. “They wanted everybody to see that. Now it’s the Biden administration’s turn to open the doors so we can fully tell the story of not just where they want to go but why they want to go to that place and show the American public ourselves.”Getty Images special correspondent John Moore US Customs and Border Protection “to stop blocking media access to their border operations.”“I have photographed CBP under Bush, Obama and Trump but now — zero access is granted to media,” Moore said.Democratic Senator Chris Murphy was one of the lawmakers who traveled to the border on Friday. After visiting a processing facility, Murphy a description of what he saw: “100s of kids packed into big open rooms. In a corner, I fought back tears as a 13 yr old girl sobbed uncontrollably explaining thru a translator how terrified she was, having been separated from her grandmother and without her parents.”After years of bashing the news media, some Republicans and right-wing media outlets have suddenly morphed into press advocates. Sen. Ted Cruz that he found it “outrageous &amp; unacceptable” there was “no press” and “no cameras” with Mayorkas.“Next week, I’m bringing 15 senators to the border. DHS said NO to our request to bring media,” Cruz said. “I will continue to fight for press access so every American can see this crisis for themselves!”White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Friday responded to a CNN Business’ inquiry about the lack of access at the border by referring to comments she made earlier in the week.Psaki said Thursday that media tours of the facilities holding children had not been permitted due to Covid-19 restrictions. But, she said, the administration remains “committed to transparency, and we’re considering potential options, and we hope to have an update on that soon.”In a Wednesday comment to Fox’s Kristin Fisher, who asked whether the White House not to do ride-alongs, Psaki said, “I think we’ve seen, watching a number of the reports you all do, a number of Border Patrol officials who are quoted in them, who appear in them, and certainly in the White House we support that.”But as Washington Post media columnist Erik Wemple quipped in a on the lack of press access at the border: “Officials are quoted! Well, then why complain? Because solid coverage of the border requires more than just a quote here and there.”Ad FeedbackAd FeedbackAd Feedback

MarketsFeaturedFear &amp; Greed IndexLatestBy , CNN BusinessLink Copied!Ad Feedback&nbsp;—&nbsp;A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter.Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas traveled to the US-Mexico border on Friday with a group of bipartisan senators. Typically on such a trip, a cabinet secretary and lawmakers would be accompanied by reporters or a member of the White House press pool to feed notes back to newsrooms.But on this trip, the Biden administration blocked that from happening.It’s part of a larger pattern of restricted...

public

Oliver Darcy is a senior media reporter for CNN, covering the intersection of media, politics, and technology. He regularly appears on CNN and CNN International to offer reporting and on-air analysis of current events. Darcy also regularly guest writes the acclaimed Reliable Sources newsletter, which covers the daily breaking news from the media beat, six days a week.

https://edition.cnn.com/profiles/oliver-darcy#about

Oliver Darcy

It’s our job to #GoThere & tell the most difficult stories. For breaking news, follow  @CNNBRK  and download our app http://cnn.com/apps

Reporters call out Biden administration for lack of transparency at the US-Mexico border | CNN Business

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS