Biden criticized by media over handling of Afghan crisis
Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino have the latest on the Taliban takeover on 'America's Newsroom'
The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal issued a joint statement urging President Biden to ensure the safe exit of their journalists from Afghanistan.
"For the past twenty years, brave Afghan colleagues have worked tirelessly to help The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal share news and information from the region with the global public," the joint statement began. "Now, those colleagues and their families are trapped in Kabul, their lives in peril."
"As employers, we are looking for support for our colleagues and as journalists we're looking for an unequivocal signal that the government will stand behind the free press. In that light, we ask the American government to move urgently and take three concrete steps to protect their safety," the statement continued.
WASHINGTON POST PUBLISHER URGES BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO HELP RESCUE JOURNALISTS IN AFGHANISTAN
The three papers outlined what they were seeking from the Biden administration, which included "facilitated and protected access to the US-controlled airport," "safe passage through a protected access gate to the airport" and "facilitated air movement out of the country."
The letter was signed by Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan, New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger and Wall Street Journal publisher Almar Latour.
Earlier in the day, the Post’s publisher directly emailed U.S. National Security advisor Jake Sullivan as the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, asking him to make sure reporters from The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post can safely exit.
"Jake, Urgent request on behalf of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post is to have our 204 journalists, support staff and families transported by US Military from the civilian side of the Kabul airport to the military side of the airport where they can be safe as they await evacuation flights," Ryan wrote in an email obtained by Fox News.
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"They are currently in danger and need the US government to get them to safety," Ryan added. "Please advise as to how best to proceed."
The request came after armed Taliban fighters swept into Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul on Sunday as the Afghani president fled the country and his government collapsed. Scenes of chaos and panic at Kabul's airport have captured the globe's attention as the United States’ 20-year military presence in the country stumbles to an end. Some videos have even shown people desperately clinging to the outside of airplanes as they take off.
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.