Biden Administration Promises Transparency Amid Media Blackout at the Border
The Biden administration has recently come under fire from media outlets for its lack of transparency since taking office, specifically about the ongoing crisis at the US-Mexico border. After facing mounting criticism from journalists on both sides of the aisle for delays in holding a formal presidential press conference and restricting media access to border facilities, the Biden administration is promising a renewed commitment to transparency.
Biden held the first news conference of his presidency 65 days after his inauguration ---- having waited longer than any president in 100 years to face the White House press corps. During his first news conference on March 25, Biden was met with a slew of questions regarding the recent influx of migrants at the border, his plan to address the overcrowding of children in holding centers and the administration’s lack of transparency around facilities sheltering unaccompanied minors. The blocking of media access to these housing facilities has sparked one of the first clashes between news organizations and the Biden administration since they took office.
Amid bipartisan criticism for restricting media access to the migrant facilities, Biden emphasized that he would commit to transparency on this issue during the news conference and would soon allow journalists to enter the detention centers. Upon being questioned by NBC’s Kristen Welker about whether he would commit to permitting journalistic access into the overcrowded youth facilities, Biden responded, “I will commit when my plan, very shortly, is underway to let you have access to not just them, but to other facilities as well.” When pressed on how soon journalists would be granted access, Biden said he didn’t know.
The first reporters from the Associated Press and a camera crew from CBS were allowed to enter the crowded border tents housing children in Donna, Texas on March 30, a step towards the Biden administration’s transparency following weeks of media scrutiny. Early reports from journalists at the facility highlight the overcrowding of children amid the border surge. The Texas facility with a pandemic capacity of 250 currently holds over 4,100 children and families.
Journalists have noted a pattern of restricted media access to the southern border despite the Biden campaign’s emphasis on pursuing a transparent and open relationship with the press. Numerous media outlets have condemned this action and are calling on the Biden White House to open the doors to news organizations at the border.
Fox News’ Chris Wallace voiced objections to White House press secretary Jen Psaki during Fox News Sunday over the administration’s opacity on the border crisis. "At this point, in allowing access to border patrol facilities for reporters, you are less transparent than the Trump administration," Wallace said.
Pamela Brown of CNN called out this lack of transparency in an on-air segment, citing how the Biden administration has failed to live up to its commitment to renewed media relations. Highlighting the blocking of media coverage during this unprecedented surge in unaccompanied minors crossing the border, Brown told viewers that this is “the latest part of a pattern of the Biden administration restricting access to the border. Journalists haven’t been inside facilities holding these unaccompanied children.”
In a recent briefing, Psaki echoed Biden’s vows to increase transparency in response to this continued media criticism. However, the White House could not provide a timeline for when journalists would gain access to the facilities. “We want to provide access into the Border Patrol facilities,” Psaki said. “We are mindful that we are in the middle of the pandemic; we want to keep the kids safe, we want to keep the staff safe.”
Media outlets are also reporting an “unofficial gag order” from the Biden administration limiting what Border Patrol agents can share with the press. An NBC News report from March 17 describes the media blackout, detailing how “multiple news organizations, including NBC News, have requested access to or photos from inside overcrowded border processing facilities holding unaccompanied migrant children; they were denied.” The report also mentions how even at the height of the Trump administration’s child separation policy, journalists were permitted to tour these facilities for unaccompanied minors.
Politicians from both parties have also called on Biden to allow additional press access to these facilities. These demands for increased transparency have been maintained by a bipartisan delegation of lawmakers that recently visited processing centers in El Paso, Texas. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), who participated in this trip to the southern border, mentioned the importance of media access in an interview with NPR News; he said, “it's something that we should all press the administration to do better on. We want to make sure that the press has access to hold the administration accountable.”
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) also voiced his concerns after visiting the border with 18 colleagues in a recent letter to the Biden administration. “We understand the heartbreaking tragedy unfolding at the border because we were there. We saw it," Cruz wrote in a letter obtained by Fox News. "But the American people are unable to see it because you remain intent on keeping the media from shining a light on your administration's failures.”
As the Biden administration has just recently permitted the first band of reporters to enter the facilities, journalists remain committed to covering the ongoing crisis and providing an inside look into the conditions at facilities holding unaccompanied minors despite remaining barriers for media.