Media top headlines August 16
In media news today, CNN gets accused of 'fear porn' for hyping story about Florida teachers who died from COVID without context, MSNBC's Joy Reid compares America's religious right to the Taliban, and Snopes catches its co-founder plagiarizing
Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan urged the Biden administration Monday to help safely evacuate American journalists and their families from Afghanistan.
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.
Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan urged the Biden administration to help safely evacuate American journalists and their families from Afghanistan. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
"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.
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Sullivan on Monday acknowledged the security situation "unfolded at unexpected speed," while maintaining that Biden stands by his decision to withdraw U.S. troops.
"The president did not think it was inevitable that the Taliban were going to take control of Afghanistan," Sullivan told ABC News’ "Good Morning America."
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"He thought the Afghan national security forces could step up and fight because we spent 20 years, tens of billions of dollars, training them, giving them the best equipment, giving them support of U.S. forces for 20 years," Sullivan added. "When push came to shove, they decided not to step up and fight for their country."
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.