National WIC Association

Media Describes What Public Charge Policy Looks Like in Real Life

October 19, 2018

In its October 18 broadcast, "PBS NewsHour" aired the story titled “Proposed immigration policy penalizes legal residents for use of public benefits,” which is about the public charge issue. The story featured a mother who is a former participant in WIC and what her future may hold with the proposed changes to the public charge rule.

The same story (although abbreviated) is told by the same reporter in her opinion column today in the Washington Post, titled “ The Trump administration is also punishing legal immigrants. Here’s how.”

NWA had a hand in these stories. The same reporter had previously written a column in early August in the Washington Post that NWA was consulted on. From that initial story, the reporter wanted to cover the public charge issue more, resulting in this additional story in the other outlet she works for - "PBS NewsHour." This story was made possible by the California WIC Association, an NWA member.