U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called out CBS News for a lack of diversity among the network’s newly announced reporters covering the 2020 presidential campaign, calling it “unacceptable” that the network had not tapped any black correspondents.
“This WH admin has made having a functional understanding of race in America one of the most important core competencies for a political journalist to have, yet @CBSNews hasn’t assigned a *single* black journalist to cover the 2020 election,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Unacceptable in 2019. Try again.”
In a statement, a CBS News rep said this was just the first wave of what will be many new reporters assigned to the campaign. “This group is the initial wave of what will be an outstanding and diverse group of journalists assigned to cover the 2020 election for CBS News,” the statement said.
On Friday, CBS News announced the new slate of reporters and producers who would cover the 2020 campaign. Though lacking in African-American representation, the eight reporters and four producers selected by CBS included both Asian-American and Latino-American staffers.
In fact, the network trumpeted the new hires as proof of CBS’ commitment to being out-front in campaign reporting for the upcoming cycle.
“With 2020 poised to be the most historic election of our lifetime, we were thrilled to see unprecedented interest in joining the political unit this cycle,” Caitlin Conant, CBS News political director, said in a release. “Our stellar team of political embeds and associate producers is second to none and will be at every event — in every state — giving our viewers an up-close look at the campaign trail along the way to the White House.”
The race is expected to be a roller coaster, with no clear Democratic front runner and the usual theatrics of President Trump on the Republican side.