Several establishment media outlets are following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) cue by mandating vaccinated employees wear masks.
“Even though the overwhelming majority of Post employees have already provided proof of vaccination, I do not take this decision lightly,” Washington Post Publisher Frederick J. Ryan Jr. told staff. “However, in considering the serious health issues and genuine safety concerns of so many Post employees, I believe the plan is the right one.”
“The Post, which is owned by the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and employs more than 1,000 journalists, is planning for a Sept. 13 office return,” the New York Times continued. “Contractors and guests to the office would also be required to provide proof of vaccination, Mr. Ryan said. He said the company would provide accommodations for those with ‘documented medical conditions and religious concerns.'”
Fin Gomez, a journalist with CBS News and White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) board member, replaces signs for mask-wearing guidance around the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on July 27, 2021 in Washington, DC. The White House announced it was reimposing its mask mandate after the CDC advised that fully-vaccinated people should wear masks indoors in areas with possible high spread of COVID-19. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The Times also revealed CNN, “the most trusted name in news,” has “mandated full vaccinations for all employees working in its various offices and in the field.”
In Washington, DC, where the Washington Post is headquartered and many CNN employees are based, there has only been one recorded death from coronavirus since July 16, according to Google’s tracking system.
The new masking mandates come after the CDC on Tuesday recommended certain regions of the country mask up, regardless of vaccination status.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky Director blamed unvaccinated Americans, not the CDC, for reinstating mask guidance.
The reversed mask guidance “could have been avoided” if more Americans had become vaccinated, the director said.
When the White House was questioned Tuesday as to why vaccinated individuals must wear masks, press secretary Jen Psaki said the recommendations were due to the “transmissibility of the virus.”
“Because the public health leaders in our administration have made the determination, based on data, that that is a way to make sure they’re protected, their loved ones are protected,” she explained. “That’s an extra step given the transmissibility of the virus.”