CNN Faces Backlash for Allegedly Excluding Black Media from Presidential Debate | Photo: Wikimedia Commons
June 28, 2024 Story by: Editor
CNN is facing significant backlash for excluding Black-owned media outlets from its June 27 presidential debate in Atlanta. Political organizations and journalists have sharply criticized the network, challenging its explanations that shift the blame to the Black outlets themselves.
An Egregious Oversight
In May, an agreement between Biden and Trump set the stage for two presidential debates: CNN would host the first on June 27, followed by an ABC-hosted debate on September 10. Notably, these debates are the first in decades not organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates. However, The Atlanta Voice revealed just a day before the debate that “none of the nearly 600 national and international media outlets granted credentials for the debate” were Black-owned.
The Congressional Black Caucus PAC, via New York Representative Gregory Meeks, issued a strong statement condemning CNN’s actions: “CNN’s exclusion of Black-owned media represents an egregious oversight and is totally unacceptable.” They called for the network to “immediately credential Black-owned media outlets” before the debate.
Keith Boykin emphasized the significance of the oversight, especially in Atlanta, “a city with a large Black population, a Black mayor, and several Black media outlets.”
Black Journalists Challenge CNN’s Deadline Excuse
Roland Martin, citing an Atlanta Black Star report, criticized CNN for the disrespect shown by not granting credentials to any Black American media outlets while approving credentials for international reporters.
The Atlanta Black Star, among the local outlets denied credentials, reported that CNN claimed Black outlets missed a June 7 application deadline. However, editors from Atlanta Voice and Atlanta Black Star stated they only became aware of the deadline after reaching out to a CNN representative, who informed them that the network could not accommodate additional credential requests past the deadline.
Journalist Monique Pressley challenged CNN to provide evidence that Black media was included in the initial outreach regarding debate credentials and failed to respond in time.
The exclusion of Black-owned media comes at a critical time, as both the Biden-Harris and Trump campaigns intensify their efforts to engage Black voters, deemed crucial for the 2024 election. Despite claims of valuing Black voters, this incident raises questions about whether institutional news media truly represent Black voices and interests. Source: Yahoo! News
