ABC and CBS have yet to report on the latest revelation in the ongoing crisis at the southern border: According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, authorities have detained 1.7 million migrants during the 2021 fiscal year, as reported by The Washington Post. It’s not like the Biden-supporting hacks at CBS completely ignored Mexico, however. On Thursday, they reported a study on salmonella being linked to onions from Mexico.
NBC's Nightly News on Thursday stood alone, offering 95 seconds on the “stunning” news. Anchor Lester Holt began: “Tonight, we're following what could be a new surge of tens of thousands of migrants heading to the southern border just as we learned this surge shattered all previous records with nearly two million migrants crossing the border.”
Reporter Julia Ainsley explained just how bad it has gotten:
Just a month after these stunning scenes from a Texas border bridge, another reminder of the record-shattering migrant surge. New data obtained by NBC News shows over 1.7 million undocumented immigrants were apprehended at the border over the last year, the highest total in American history. And tonight, U.S. officials monitoring tens of thousands more who may soon be making their way north.
On September 16, 2021, the Media Research Center reported that coverage on the evening news shows was was down 94 percent in August. On September 17, coverage actually spiked with ABC fretting about the “new crisis at the border.” NBC featured a report on the “record migrant surge.”
But this week, network journalists on ABC and CBS couldn’t even be bothered to cover the latest. As noted earlier, this was the Mexico story that CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell thought was most important:
Tonight a warning from the CDC that a salmonella linked to onions imported from Mexico has sickened more than 650 people in at least 37 states and nearly 130 people have had to be treated in hospitals. Businesses have been ordered to stop selling onions from Chihuahua, Mexico attributed by Pro Source Incorporated. If you have them at home, please throw them out.
Priorities, right?
ABC ignoring the latest on the crisis at the border was sponsored by Dove, on CBS it was Consumer Cellular. Click on the links to let them know what you think.
A transcript of the NBC Nightly News segment is below. Click “expand” to read more.
NBC Nightly News
10/21/2021
7:14 PM ETLESTER HOLT: Tonight, we're following what could be a new surge of tens of thousands of migrants heading to the southern border just as we learned this surge shattered all previous records with nearly two million migrants crossing the border. Julia Ainsley has more.
JULIA AINSLEY: Just a month after these stunning scenes from a Texas border bridge, another reminder of the record-shattering migrant surge. New data obtained by NBC News shows over 1.7 million undocumented immigrants were apprehended at the border over the last year, the highest total in American history. And tonight, U.S. officials monitoring tens of thousands more who may soon be making their way north. “I want to leave in any way I can,” this man says. Migrants amassing in Columbia, Panama, Ecuador and southern Mexico. Some met with violence from law enforcement along the way. Republicans blame President Biden for encouraging the surge by releasing many migrants into the U.S. This week, pressing his choice to head customs and borders protection.
UNIDENTIFIED SENATOR: Is there a crisis, or is there not a crisis at the border?
CHRIS MAGNUS (U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner nominee: Senator, I would say that my highest priority is going —
UNIDENTIFIED SENATOR: I didn't ask your priority. Is there a crisis at the border?
MAGNUS: Senator, what I'm certainly trying to convey is how serious I take what's happening at the border.
AINSLEY: The Biden administration blames much of the recent search on misinformation that gives migrants false hope. NBC News learned they're building an intelligence cell to monitor those messages and better predict the next wave of migrants. Lester?
