Over the past couple of days, Fox News Channel and CBS have given significant attention to a shooting attack on a Border Patrol agent in Arizona in an area "known for smugglers and traffickers," as CNN, ABC, and NBC have ignored it completely while MSNBC has barely touched the story.
By contrast, these same networks have been fixated in recent days on the treatment of illegal immigrants who are separated from their children after illegal border crossings.
FNC has so far given the story a total of more than eight minutes as Fox and Friends and America's Newsroom have aired full reports between Wednesday and Thursday, while Wednesday's CBS Evening News gave it a full report, and CBS This Morning gave it a half-minute brief.
MSNBC's Velshi and Ruhle gave the story a mere 40 seconds of attention on Thursday's show.
On Wednesday morning, FNC correspondent Alicia Acuna filed two full reports on America's Newsroom, and informed viewers that "the shooting happened on Jim Chilton's ranch," adding: "He said something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. His property is right along the border."
After noting that there is no wall at this part of the border, Acuna informed viewers: "Chilton is a well-known backer of the President's plan to build a wall along most of the country's southern border."
FNC anchor Bill Hemmer noted the area is "known for smugglers and drug traffickers."
On the CBS Evening News, in a full report filed by Mireya Villareal, Chilton was also seen informing viewers that the area is "often used by the drug cartels," adding that "we're undoubtedly being watched right now by Sinaloa cartel scouts."
Reports on both CBS and FNC pointed out that, each year, there are several hundred attacks on border agents, although they seldomly turn deadly.
