Why did it take Corporate Media so long to cover the border crisis?
Why did it take Corporate Media so long to cover the border crisis?
The border crisis at the US-Mexico border has been unfolding for over a year, with record numbers of migrants crossing illegally. However, the corporate media has largely ignored the issue, until recently.
The Biden administration has been downplaying the crisis from the start. They even refused to call it a "crisis" and have instead used more euphemistic terms like "surge" and "challenge”.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas won't call immigration at southern border a crisis
Since President Biden took office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has logged more than 5.4 million illegal border crossings, plus at least 1.5 million “gotaways” – that is, border crossers who were detected by CBP technology, but who were never apprehended. (Source)
In recent weeks, several Democratic-led cities and states have declared emergencies over the influx of migrants, which has strained local resources.
As the influx of migrants into sanctuary cities became too untenable to ignore, Democratic governors and mayors have had to publicly urge President Biden to take action to address the surge in migrants arriving at the US-Mexico border.
On October 5th, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced that the Biden administration would resume construction on the border wall in Texas. The announcement came as a surprise to many, as President Biden had previously pledged to end all border wall construction.
Mayorkas justified the decision by citing the "acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers" in order to prevent unlawful entries into the United States. He also noted that the administration was required to use the funds that had been appropriated by Congress for border wall construction in 2019.
The construction will take place in Starr County, Texas, and will involve the construction of about 17 miles of new border wall. The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Why the Corporate Media Didn't Cover the Border Crisis for So Long
Not all media outlets have ignored the border crisis. Some conservative and independent outlets have been covering the issue extensively. Additionally, some local news outlets in border communities have been providing in-depth reporting on the crisis.
However, the corporate media's lack of coverage favored the Biden administration and has led to a situation where the border crisis has been largely concealed from the public, until now.
In Escalation, Adams Says Migrant Crisis ‘Will Destroy New York City’
It wasn’t until New York Mayor Eric Adams rang the alarm saying the city would be destroyed, did it seem the media took notice-seriously.
And, when Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker penned an open letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to take action to address the influx of migrants at the southern border, that was seemingly the wake up call the government and media needed.
A 2020 study in Science Advances found that, although a majority of journalists identify as liberals/Democrats, there is no evidence of a liberal media bias in which stories journalists chose to cover in their reporting. - (Media bias in the United States)
The corporate media is increasingly liberal-leaning. It may affect the way journalists and outlets frame stories.
The border crisis is a politically charged issue. The media has been reluctant to cover the crisis in a way that could be seen as critical of the Biden administration.
The corporate media might be influenced by the same special interests that support the Biden administration's open borders policies. These special interests, such as big business and the left-wing donor class, benefit from having a large pool of cheap labor to exploit.
As a result of all of these factors, the corporate media largely ignored the border crisis for months. It wasn't until the crisis reached a breaking point and became politically untenable that the media started to pay attention.
The corporate media has a responsibility to cover the border crisis honestly and accurately. The American people deserve to know the truth about what is happening.
Black Political Opinion is a multi-part opinion-editorial series that looks at various political topics, news, and views, from the perspective of a Black female, conservative leaning Independent.