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ICE claims of media leaks debunked

Mark Roberts

Mark Roberts

A pattern may be developing in which ICE accuses local media outlets of leaking information when it's not happy with news coverage when, in fact, ICE activities are so obvious that it's difficult not to cover them. First there were the accusations against Audacy all-news station KCBS in San Francisco. Similar accusations have been made in Denver. Corey Hutchins' excellent Inside the News in Colorado looks at accusations leveled against Denver TV station KUSA (9News) as well as other media outlets, including reporting from the Columbia Journalism Review. There's a quote from the CJR's coverage of the matter:

9News’s Vanderveen scoffed at the idea that the reporters covering raids are privy to sensitive information. “There was no leak necessary to figure this one out,” he said, of the operation in Denver. “The worst-kept secret in the world is when you put a bunch of vehicles and personnel dressed in fatigues in shopping-center parking lots.”

That may have been the point: the ICE raids are a show of force, part of a campaign by the Trump administration to demonstrate the use of aggressive tactics to remove people who officials claim are violent and dangerous. In Denver, at least, that wasn’t how things turned out. “It couldn’t have possibly gone wrong because we were obvious with what we were doing,” Vanderveen said, of how those in charge appear to be seeing things. “It had to be the press.”
Click to expand...

Hutchins goes on to describe coverage on KMGH-TV (Denver7):

Last week, one immigrant family in one of the Aurora apartments was on FaceTime with Denver7 reporter Kristian Lopez as ICE agents entered their apartment. The segment offered a real-time view of one early morning raid as a couple prepared to take their daughter to school.
Click to expand...

Hutchins reports that ICE more recently has been turning to blame the FBI for the outcomes of its raids.

There's no indication that the FCC has become involved and, honestly, I don't think the FCC would have a leg to stand on here. What was going on was extremely obvious. Reporting methods appear to have been ethical and above-board.

KUSA has also said that 9News won't accept offers of ride-alongs or other forms of embedded reporting for immigration-related raids.

Full story: 'No leak necessary,' says Denver's 9NEWS journalist about ICE raids in Colorado
 
Like in Audacy's example in San Francisco the media entity will argue on 1st Amendment grounds. Also since it's local news outlets they cover local and state law enforcement the same way.

Tegna can argue the same things on how they cover law enforcement during local newscast as seen here.
 
In Denver and Aurora, ICE hasn't released information to local media outlets about the number of people detained and the number of those people who were felons, despite repeated efforts to obtain that information. What is known is that about 30 people appeared to have been detained, with one known to have a criminal record. Those were numbers reported by the Fox News embedded crew. This was far short of what ICE claimed they were going to find in their raids.

According to reporting from KUSA/9News, ICE has been misrepresenting the status of the one person detailed who had a criminal record.


One can conclude that ICE seeks publicity for the raids only if it makes them look good, and stonewalls requests for information that makes them look ineffective. Of course, local news outlets are going to try to find out whatever they can. It's basic journalism, and particularly important where life and liberty are concerned. Kudos to Denver's media for not just relying on handouts but for trying to find out what's actually happening.
 
Mark Roberts said:
A pattern may be developing in which ICE accuses local media outlets of leaking information when it's not happy with news coverage when, in fact, ICE activities are so obvious that it's difficult not to cover them. First there were the accusations against Audacy all-news station KCBS in San Francisco. Similar accusations have been made in Denver. Corey Hutchins' excellent Inside the News in Colorado looks at accusations leveled against Denver TV station KUSA (9News) as well as other media outlets, including reporting from the Columbia Journalism Review. There's a quote from the CJR's coverage of the matter:



Hutchins goes on to describe coverage on KMGH-TV (Denver7):



Hutchins reports that ICE more recently has been turning to blame the FBI for the outcomes of its raids.

There's no indication that the FCC has become involved and, honestly, I don't think the FCC would have a leg to stand on here. What was going on was extremely obvious. Reporting methods appear to have been ethical and above-board.

KUSA has also said that 9News won't accept offers of ride-alongs or other forms of embedded reporting for immigration-related raids.

Full story: 'No leak necessary,' says Denver's 9NEWS journalist about ICE raids in Colorado
Click to expand...


Dang and hope Tegna the best in this situation given that they can easily argue that they cover issues surrounding law enforcement the same way.
 
The Trump Administration HATES the fact we have something called A FREE PRESS in this country & it's getting in the way of what the Administration REALLY wants to America on MANY fronts (Notg just immigration)

To that I have BUT ONE thing to say

(Inseert your favorite crying baby meme here)
 
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