Ocasio-Cortez calls out CBS News for not assigning a 'single black journalist to cover the 2020 election' | TheHill

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-CortezOcasio-Cortez sparks debate with talk of 70 percent marginal rate Nordic lessons on AOC's 70 percent tax proposal Virginia Democrat adds his support to Green New Deal MORE (D-N.Y) criticized CBS News Saturday night for what she considered lack of diversity in its team of reporters covering the upcoming 2020 presidential election.

“This WH admin has made having a functional understanding of race in America one of the most important core competencies for a political journalist to have, yet [CBS News] hasn’t assigned a *single* black journalist to cover the 2020 election,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a tweet.

“Unacceptable in 2019. Try again,” Ocasio-Cortez added.

This WH admin has made having a functional understanding of race in America one of the most important core competencies for a political journalist to have, yet @CBSNews hasn’t assigned a *single* black journalist to cover the 2020 election.

Unacceptable in 2019. Try again. https://t.co/h7tmiBr9Fi

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 13, 2019

Her tweet was in response to another post shared by an associate producer at CBS News, Ben Mitchell, who shared a tweet showing the news agency’s 2020 election team of reporters and associate producers. 

“It's Official: The @CBSNews 2020 Election Team has assembled!” Mitchell said in the tweet, which also featured a photo of the 12-person team of media professionals.

The newly sworn in congresswoman faced some blowback from other reporters over the criticism, including Josh Kraushaar, a politics editor at the National Journal, who said the New York Democrat had “another thing” in common with President Trump Donald John TrumpJulián Castro hits Trump in campaign launch: 'A crisis of leadership' Center stage once again: Colin Powell’s UN speech in ‘Vice’ Julián Castro announces 2020 White House bid, swipes at Trump MORE : “media scold.”

Another thing AOC has in common with Trump: media scold. https://t.co/Xj9AAccWMP

— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) January 13, 2019

Ocasio-Cortez fired back at Kraushaar in another tweet on Saturday night, saying: “Or: maybe having powerful editorial positions awash in people from one race, class, or gender isn’t a good idea; since we get 1000% more takes on ‘brown lady says a curse word’ than an actual white supremacist in Congress.”

Or: maybe having powerful editorial positions awash in people from one race, class, or gender isn’t a good idea; since we get 1000% more takes on “brown lady says a curse word” than an actual white supremacist in Congress.

If you won’t look the mirror, people will do it for you. https://t.co/P0PVfsTE4t

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 13, 2019

The congresswoman appeared to be referencing data released from by the liberal group Media Matters for America on Friday.

The Hill reached out to CBS News.

The report showed that Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib Rashida Harbi TlaibSteve King faces new storm over remarks about white supremacy GOP pollster says Democratic talk of impeaching Trump is 'gift' for Republicans Rubio, Tlaib trade barbs over Israel, free speech MORE ’s (Mich.) profane vow to impeach Trump received five times more cable news coverage than Republican Rep. Steve King Steven (Steve) Arnold KingGrassley, Ernst condemn Steve King's 'white supremacist' comments Steve King faces new storm over remarks about white supremacy Biden blasts Steve King for 'white supremacist' comments MORE over his latest inflammatory comments questioning why the term “white supremacist” is offensive.

In another tweet responding to Ocasio-Cortez, however, Kraushaar wrote that he felt the team's reporters looked racially diverse "at least based on [their] last names."

For what it’s worth, the mix of 7 embedded campaign reporters looked racially diverse (at least based on last names), with the exception of lacking an African-American.

If there aren’t strict racial quotas for every batch of hires, does it mean a company is racist? https://t.co/T05hTagRby

— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) January 13, 2019

But Ocasio-Cortez responded to Kraushaar's reasoning in another tweet in which she also contended that "one race isn’t substitutable for another."

"It doesn’t work like that. It’s not about 'quotas.' It’s about understanding the country you’re living in," the New York Democrat added.

Do you understand how fundamental the black experience is to American politics? And to American history?

One race isn’t substitutable for another. It doesn’t work like that.

It’s not about “quotas.” It’s about understanding the country you’re living in. https://t.co/sttXLoD4J3

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 13, 2019
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/425070-ocasio-cortez-calls-out-cbs-news-for-not-assigning-a-single-black-journalist