Politico forbids 'crisis' when describing border surge, despite Biden's own use

Don't call it a "crisis."

Politico is the latest news outlet to order its staff not to use the word 'crisis' when reporting on the massive influx of illegal immigrants at the southern border, according to an internal letter obtained by the Washington Examiner. The Beltway publication's edict follows a similar one by The Associated Press and comes despite President Joe Biden's own use of the characterization.

"Avoid referring to the present situation as a crisis, although we may quote others using that language while providing context. While the sharp increase in the arrival of unaccompanied minors is a problem for border officials, a political challenge for the Biden administration and a dire situation for many migrants who make the journey, it does not fit the dictionary definition of a crisis," the memo from deputy production director Maya Parthasarathy reads. "If using the word 'crisis,' we need to ask of what and to whom."