Time Magazine Editor Defends Inaccurate Cover: Photo Is ‘Iconic,’ Little Girl Is the ‘Face’ of the Crisis

STELTER Now the power ░░░░░░░░ a picture This crying ░░░░░░░░ from Honduras became the ░░░░░░░░ poster child for Trump ░░░░░░░░ border crackdown Her pain ░░░░░░░░ real Her tears very ░░░░░░░░ But the photo did ░░░░░░░░ show what some people ░░░░░░░░ it did It did ░░░░░░░░ show in that case ░░░░░░░░ family being broken up ░░░░░░░░ Time Magazine s under ░░░░░░░░ for using the photo ░░░░░░░░ its cover and the ░░░░░░░░ of Time will join ░░░░░░░░ in a moment But ░░░░░░░░ s start with what ░░░░░░░░ know about the girl ░░░░░░░░ asked Getty photographer John ░░░░░░░░ about what he witnessed ░░░░░░░░ the desert that night ░░░░░░░░ 12th FELSENTHAL Brian I ░░░░░░░░ been photographing the border ░░░░░░░░ as they detained people ░░░░░░░░ then took people into ░░░░░░░░ In this particular photo ░░░░░░░░ touched me very much ░░░░░░░░ many other people in ░░░░░░░░ course of this last ░░░░░░░░ the mother is being ░░░░░░░░ As she set her ░░░░░░░░ down there at a ░░░░░░░░ vehicle the little girl ░░░░░░░░ crying and she did ░░░░░░░░ entire time that she ░░░░░░░░ there on the ground ░░░░░░░░ were taken to a ░░░░░░░░ center and at that ░░░░░░░░ we know that other ░░░░░░░░ and parents were separated ░░░░░░░░ never knew if this ░░░░░░░░ girl and her mother ░░░░░░░░ be When they were ░░░░░░░░ away we really had ░░░░░░░░ idea about that but ░░░░░░░░ that time it was ░░░░░░░░ with many other children ░░░░░░░░ their parents STELTER So ░░░░░░░░ families were being split ░░░░░░░░ but according to the ░░░░░░░░ and the child s ░░░░░░░░ this particular mother and ░░░░░░░░ were not separated Joining ░░░░░░░░ now in an exclusive ░░░░░░░░ about the backlash to ░░░░░░░░ cover is Time Magazine ░░░░░░░░ editor in chief Edward ░░░░░░░░ Thank you for being ░░░░░░░░ FELSENTHAL Sure STELTER As ░░░░░░░░ as it was revealed ░░░░░░░░ an interview with the ░░░░░░░░ s father that the ░░░░░░░░ had not been separated ░░░░░░░░ was a strong right ░░░░░░░░ backlash to your cover ░░░░░░░░ from the Trump Administration ░░░░░░░░ you make a mistake ░░░░░░░░ having this crying girl ░░░░░░░░ the cover FELSENTHAL Look ░░░░░░░░ think John Moore s ░░░░░░░░ was and will remain ░░░░░░░░ iconic one We chose ░░░░░░░░ photo because this little ░░░░░░░░ became the face of ░░░░░░░░ story on front pages ░░░░░░░░ home pages and TV ░░░░░░░░ and Facebook feeds STELTER ░░░░░░░░ maybe she shouldn t ░░░░░░░░ been the face of ░░░░░░░░ story if she wasn ░░░░░░░░ separated from her mom ░░░░░░░░ Well as John just ░░░░░░░░ and has said all ░░░░░░░░ none of us in ░░░░░░░░ media who used the ░░░░░░░░ knew what had happened ░░░░░░░░ the girl after this ░░░░░░░░ moment And I think ░░░░░░░░ of the power of ░░░░░░░░ image is that unknown ░░░░░░░░ was a girl facing ░░░░░░░░ s coming to America ░░░░░░░░ just completed one terrifying ░░░░░░░░ and whatever its contours ░░░░░░░░ happens to her faces ░░░░░░░░ very frightening journey as ░░░░░░░░ But by Monday of ░░░░░░░░ week we knew that ░░░░░░░░ hadn t been separated ░░░░░░░░ her mom In fact ░░░░░░░░ Tuesday you all issued ░░░░░░░░ correction to a web ░░░░░░░░ about that That s ░░░░░░░░ don t believe that ░░░░░░░░ the case We did ░░░░░░░░ an error which obviously ░░░░░░░░ regret and hate making ░░░░░░░░ any time Sure But ░░░░░░░░ made an error on ░░░░░░░░ web story early in ░░░░░░░░ week not part of ░░░░░░░░ cover package in which ░░░░░░░░ said that the mother ░░░░░░░░ been separated and we ░░░░░░░░ and transparently corrected that ░░░░░░░░ didn t know nobody ░░░░░░░░ this photo knew on ░░░░░░░░ or Tuesday knew that ░░░░░░░░ had not been separated ░░░░░░░░ we knew according to ░░░░░░░░ government they had not ░░░░░░░░ separated By Monday we ░░░░░░░░ according to the government ░░░░░░░░ had not been separated ░░░░░░░░ know we should be ░░░░░░░░ that and to this ░░░░░░░░ we do not know ░░░░░░░░ status of a lot ░░░░░░░░ these kids who are ░░░░░░░░ It s sickening But ░░░░░░░░ wonder about the use ░░░░░░░░ this photo and whether ░░░░░░░░ all discussed whether it ░░░░░░░░ the appropriate one to ░░░░░░░░ the family separation policy ░░░░░░░░ discussed it as we ░░░░░░░░ every cover and we ░░░░░░░░ that I felt that ░░░░░░░░ photo symbolized this moment ░░░░░░░░ America She became the ░░░░░░░░ of this debate of ░░░░░░░░ crisis and juxtaposing her ░░░░░░░░ the person in whose ░░░░░░░░ in whose hands her ░░░░░░░░ was held I thought ░░░░░░░░ a powerful important statement ░░░░░░░░ the decisions we have ░░░░░░░░ make as a country ░░░░░░░░ secretary Sarah Sanders responded ░░░░░░░░ this controversy on Friday ░░░░░░░░ s part of what ░░░░░░░░ wrote He said It ░░░░░░░░ shameful that DEMs in ░░░░░░░░ media have exploited this ░░░░░░░░ of a little girl ░░░░░░░░ push their aged She ░░░░░░░░ not separated from her ░░░░░░░░ The separation here is ░░░░░░░░ the facts Has this ░░░░░░░░ damage to Time magazine ░░░░░░░░ know just speaking directly ░░░░░░░░ Sarah s comment it ░░░░░░░░ always hard with images ░░░░░░░░ children but this story ░░░░░░░░ about children It s ░░░░░░░░ It s complicated But ░░░░░░░░ was struck by the ░░░░░░░░ of the father who ░░░░░░░░ a couple of his ░░░░░░░░ late in the week ░░░░░░░░ that he was proud ░░░░░░░░ pleased that his daughter ░░░░░░░░ become a symbol of ░░░░░░░░ of something bigger than ░░░░░░░░ And he said he ░░░░░░░░ that the picture had ░░░░░░░░ Trump s heart And ░░░░░░░░ be clear the damage ░░░░░░░░ to these families is ░░░░░░░░ much bigger of a ░░░░░░░░ than what happened under ░░░░░░░░ I am not trying ░░░░░░░░ claim otherwise But let ░░░░░░░░ look at how some ░░░░░░░░ the right wing media ░░░░░░░░ portrayed This The daily ░░░░░░░░ says the narrative of ░░░░░░░░ families at the border ░░░░░░░░ been demolished as the ░░░░░░░░ over a viral photo ░░░░░░░░ a crying child tells ░░░░░░░░ different story This was ░░░░░░░░ top story on pro ░░░░░░░░ websites on Friday and ░░░░░░░░ now I mean they ░░░░░░░░ using this one issue ░░░░░░░░ try to distract from ░░░░░░░░ is a disgusting situation ░░░░░░░░ the border Well I ░░░░░░░░ say the photo gets ░░░░░░░░ to what you were ░░░░░░░░ discussing with norm The ░░░░░░░░ we re not seeing ░░░░░░░░ far more disturbing than ░░░░░░░░ photos we are seeing ░░░░░░░░ that s part of ░░░░░░░░ s happening here as ░░░░░░░░ What is Time doing ░░░░░░░░ try to get access ░░░░░░░░ the border I assume ░░░░░░░░ re trying We have ░░░░░░░░ Haley Edwards on our ░░░░░░░░ has been covering this ░░░░░░░░ for months We ve ░░░░░░░░ to get access and ░░░░░░░░ date have not been ░░░░░░░░ access to the detention ░░░░░░░░ and so forth But ░░░░░░░░ do think it s ░░░░░░░░ to me that when ░░░░░░░░ announced the executive order ░░░░░░░░ said he didn t ░░░░░░░░ the sight of what ░░░░░░░░ happening at the border ░░░░░░░░ I think these images ░░░░░░░░ of them they portray ░░░░░░░░ great dilemma for our ░░░░░░░░ that is playing out ░░░░░░░░ hour on that border ░░░░░░░░ showing demonstrating the images ░░░░░░░░ we ve seen the ░░░░░░░░ of doing this humanely ░░░░░░░░ intelligently I wonder given ░░░░░░░░ president s well known ░░░░░░░░ of Time magazine for ░░░░░░░░ do you think about ░░░░░░░░ seeing the cover when ░░░░░░░░ re producing it these ░░░░░░░░ Not really Not really ░░░░░░░░ I think I would ░░░░░░░░ would think about hey ░░░░░░░░ president might see this ░░░░░░░░ m certainly aware of ░░░░░░░░ interest in the cover ░░░░░░░░ the way he talks ░░░░░░░░ the cover and has ░░░░░░░░ about the cover I ░░░░░░░░ I would say it ░░░░░░░░ t affect what we ░░░░░░░░ to do on the ░░░░░░░░ It s not aimed ░░░░░░░░ him And the governor ░░░░░░░░ Mississippi this morning Phil ░░░░░░░░ came out and said ░░░░░░░░ s Time for everyone ░░░░░░░░ cancel their subscription to ░░░░░░░░ fake news rag We ░░░░░░░░ put up on screen ░░░░░░░░ tweet He s calling ░░░░░░░░ out for this cover ░░░░░░░░ Has the magazine been ░░░░░░░░ Read the coverage read ░░░░░░░░ reporting We did make ░░░░░░░░ mistake And obviously I ░░░░░░░░ that mistake and wish ░░░░░░░░ hadn t made it ░░░░░░░░ we fixed it we ░░░░░░░░ it quickly as all ░░░░░░░░ media outlets do and ░░░░░░░░ coverage has been fair ░░░░░░░░ thorough and will continue ░░░░░░░░ be The president of ░░░░░░░░ when he attacks media ░░░░░░░░ or makes mistakes very ░░░░░░░░ rarely corrects them So ░░░░░░░░ think it s so ░░░░░░░░ to reinforce that we ░░░░░░░░ correct our errors Absolutely ░░░░░░░░ to see you.