Over the weekend, NBC ran a couple of noteworthy reports on the issue of border security. One focused almost entirely on locals near the border who are complaining about a possible wall, while the other report, as it devoted attention to both sides of the issue, also showed a border security activist being asked by reporter Morgan Radford to respond to critics who accuse him of being a "racist" who wants to "hunt" Mexicans.
On Sunday's Today show, Radford provided a pre-recorded piece that ran over four minutes and gave attention to activists on both sides of the issue. After beginning by showing the flimsy condition of some border fences, she turned to Tim Foley, who founded the group, Arizona Border Recon, to keep watch over the border to combat drug smuggling.
As she gave him an opportunity to give his point of view, she also threw the kind of pointed question at him that one does not expect to see asked of liberals. Here's Radford: "A lot of people might say you guys are a bunch of racists who just want to hunt down Mexican people or people trying to cross the border. What do you say to that?"
The later part of the report was devoted to those who live near the border who complain about such issues as the barbed wire which they believe is not necessary.
On Saturday night's NBC Nightly News, host Jose Diaz-Balart introduced a pice by asserting that there has been "mixed reaction" to President Donald Trump's plan to add barriers to the border, but the report by Gabe Gutierrez focused almost entirely on those who are complaining.
The report began with a man whose family has owned land since the 1700s who is concerned about losing some of it, and believes there is no "crisis" to deal with.
After spending about 13 seconds on the local Republican party chairman who supports building a wall, the report shifted back to critics as Gutierrez recalled concerns that people will have difficulty visiting family members who live across the border.
