Point of note: the USA is about the only developed nation that currently requires journalists to apply for a visa before visiting. (Which makes Lappin's mistake a bit more understandable.)
Personal opinion -- this is a really dumb requirement and, as evident in this article, is damaging to the USA's reputation overseas.
I posted this as it really seems to be a trend (as mentioned in the article). The US border controls get more and more ridiculous for foreigners - but only in a security theater way. None of these moves seem like they could actually defend against any kind of threat.
Once you made it past the border controls, being in the US is lovely. But immigration really gets the message across that you're unwanted and at the mercy of uneducated bullies with too much power on their hands.
Apparently we don't care about our reputation. The people who make these rules will probably also benefit from fewer total investigative journalists sticking their noses where they're not welcome.
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[ 2.6 ms ] story [ 15.6 ms ] threadPersonal opinion -- this is a really dumb requirement and, as evident in this article, is damaging to the USA's reputation overseas.
Once you made it past the border controls, being in the US is lovely. But immigration really gets the message across that you're unwanted and at the mercy of uneducated bullies with too much power on their hands.