CBS’ recent announcement of the journalists that it has chosen to cover the 2020 presidential election for its news program has generated a great deal of controversy for the single reason that the 12-person team happens to not have a single African-American member. Liberal politicians, actors and even a number of fellow journalists have all railed against CBS for its lack of “racial sensitivity,” and some are even urging viewers to avoid CBS altogether and instead seek coverage from other news outlets.
Some reporters pointed out that the CBS journalist team that will cover the 2020 presidential elections is, in fact, quite diverse. The team includes one reporter who is originally from Afghanistan, one Asian-American reporter and one Hispanic reporter. It is also worth noting that there is a nearly even mix of men and women on the team. However, taking note of this fact only served to increase the anger of those who feel that the news station is automatically racist for not including an African-American.
The NAACP alleges that such a team will be unable to cover issues impacting the African-American community. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has proclaimed that hiring minority reporters from other races is not a substitute for not hiring a black reporter. The young progressive has demanded that CBS “try again”. Not surprisingly, Rep. Maxine Waters has weighed in as well, demanding that CBS explain itself. One journalist who criticized CBS called the channel “stupid” while another confidently proclaimed that the channel must have tried really hard in order to “screw things up” as badly as it did.
While progressives are howling about CBS’ 2020 team, it is failing to take note of some important facts. First of all, the team announced by the channel aren’t the only ones who will be covering the election. The on-air correspondent team for the channel has not yet been announced. The managing editor for Washington news coverage, who will undoubtedly play an important role in election coverage, is African-American.
Those who are howling about lack of African-Americans on the team should bear in mind that they are actually making an incredibly racist statement. If white politicians were to state that only white journalists could adequately address issues and concerns that other white people have, most people would be justifiably outraged. The same would naturally hold true if male politicians were to make similar comments based on reporter’s gender. However, when the comment is about the lack of black journalists, somehow progressives feel that their comments are justified.
There is a lot at stake in the upcoming 2020 presidential elections and accurate, in-depth news coverage is essential.It is wrong for a news channel to be given the impression that it has to include a person from every single major race. Journalists should be chosen for jobs based on their qualifications, experience and desire to cover certain topics, and a news outlet has every right to choose who handles certain stories without facing the wrath of social media mobs.
Of course, no one has said anything about political diversity, which is probably more important when covering elections…but we digress.
~ Liberty Planet
