Thursday, March 11, 2021

Independent Journalist: Yamiche Alcindor

 For Mass Media and Society by Aubrey Vosburg



                Yamiche Alcindor is an independent journalist who has produced a wealth of articles for a variety of sources including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Independent; she is currently a White House correspondent for PBS Newshour. She is primarily known for her work in political journalism and, at the young age of 34, has been nominated for a Shorty Award, received the Hamblett First Amendment Award, was selected as number 13 of the 100 most influential African Americans by The Root magazine, and was a moderator at the sixth 2020 Democratic debate.

                The first article I analyzed was Law enforcement officials testify on security failures during siege at U.S. Capitol, which is a summary of the commentary made by White House officials in regard to the mistakes made during siege on the Capitol building on January 6th 2021. The article also contained firsthand testimonies by individuals who were at the Capitol during the insurrection, including Capt. Carneysha Mendoza who “received chemical burns to my face that still have not healed to this day. Officers begged me for relief, as they were unsure how long they could physically hold the door closed, with the crowd continually banging on the outside of the door attempting to gain reentry”.

                Next, I read Alcindor’s article Congressional Democrats back blueprint for Biden’s relief plan. The article is about the effects Covid-19 has reaped on the American economy and Biden’s plan for recovery. In it, Alcindor summarizes the meeting between Biden and congressional Democrats which calls for $1,400 stimulus checks to individuals amongst other things. The article goes on to discuss how the pandemic has affected lower-class individuals economically, and provides testimonies including one from Leida Parker Sylvester who states: “The job search has been really difficult. I just put in job after job. It has to be over 100 jobs that I have applied for”.

Finally, the last article I analyzed is Biden administration scrambles to respond to surge of migrant children at the U.S. border. In it, Alcindor discusses the rapidly growing number of migrant children being detained, nearly half of which are being held far longer than permitted by law. She also gives a breakdown of what these children have experienced, from their first encounter with a Border Patrol agent to a Refugee Resettlement shelter. Alcindor goes on to discuss Biden’s propositions for taking control of this matter, and the need for facility expansions. According to Theresa Cardinal Brown, the director of immigration and cross-border policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, who Alcindor interviewed: “Biden is trying to abide by the immigration order, but it's a capacity problem. His attempted immigration reform wouldn't necessarily address this particular problem, other than that it would or might create new legal pathways for people to come, so they wouldn't be arriving illegally at the border.”

 

 

Sources:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/biden-administration-scrambles-to-respond-to-surge-of-migrant-children-at-the-u-s-border

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/law-enforcement-officials-testify-on-security-failures-during-siege-at-u-s-capitol

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/congressional-democrats-back-blueprint-for-bidens-relief-plan

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