Immigration Myths and Cable News

http://mediamattersaction.org/reports/fearandloathing/

"Number one, the illegal aliens shouldn't be here. And number two, the culture from which they come is a lot more violent than the USA."
-- The O'Reilly Factor, January 15, 2007

There are many problems facing the United States today: a faltering economy, a health-care crisis, and the continuing war in Iraq, to name a few. But viewers of some of the most prominent cable news programs are presented a different reality in which one issue stands above all others: illegal immigration.

Media Matters Action Network undertook this study in order to document how immigration is discussed and debated on cable news. When it comes to immigration, cable news overflows not just with vitriolic rhetoric, but also with a series of myths that feed viewers' resentment and fears, fostering hostility toward immigrants.

We focus our analysis on a trio of cable commentators: Lou Dobbs, Bill O'Reilly, and Glenn Beck. While hosts on other cable programs regularly discuss illegal immigration (particularly on Fox News, where it is a frequent topic on Hannity & Colmes and Special Report with Brit Hume), these three are the most notable for a number of reasons. On their eponymous programs, Dobbs, O'Reilly, and Beck serve up a steady diet of fear, anger, and resentment on the topic of illegal immigration.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• immigration
• cable
• news
• politics
• media
• matters
• dobbs
• beck
• o'reilly
• paul
• waldman

[HimeAisha]

Nice way to focus only on the hispanic gangs in the US. I was raised in Detroit and just like anywhere else there are all types of gangs...ever heard of the Bloodz and Cribs...how about the KKKs in Howell Michigan. In Detroit there are lots of hispanics, but the ones that are in gangs are the ones that are "legal" Most hispanics around here are community leaders, artists, writers, and own shops. So instead of being Bias open your eyes.

[justonefirefly1]

REpublicans are the only ones we have to fear:

REpublicans lie and lie and lie and never have any facts - they are the dumb asses that said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and they did not.

REPUBLICANS KILLED 5000 BRAVE AMERICANS

REPUBLICANS STARTED A WAR THAT THEY CAN'T PAY FOR - $1,064,908,509,256

THEY RUINED THE ECONOMY

THE 9/11 HIJACKERS WERE FROM SAUDI ARABIA not Iraq or Mexico.

[borderraven]

If the foreign national person was not in the US, then his/her crimes would not occur in the US, and the US citizens wouldn't be impacted by the crime, police work, legal work, justice work, prison work, deportation costs, etc.

[tinaw1969]

This guy is an idiot. It is not only on the shows he says. It is on ALL news Channels, ALL newspapers! It's everywhere because illegal aliens are a terrible, horrible problem to our country. It has to stop! This guy should shut his mouth because he doesn't know what he is talking about! Deport them and close the border!

[AlexUSAF]

All O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, and Lou Dobbs are trying to do is defend our American nation from these unlawful invaders who cut in front of the line of people trying to immigrate here legally. Don't think criminal aliens are a problem? Think again, 30% of violent crime in my home state is because of illegal aliens, not native citizens. These illegal aliens need to be deported now, and we need a national wall on the border.

[VinnyMcFly]

the NFTA super highway is a real thing, regardless of the immigration issue. Trans-Texas Corridor has stopped construction because the texas congress voted against it. I dont see what that has to do with immigration??? it has to do with globalization of economies...

[StLukey7]

Lou Dobbs Tonight - he over did the hatred what happened to him? HE'S GONE!

Jay Severin Radio NY - he over did the hatred what happened to him?  HE'S GONE!

Glenn Beck on CNN - he over did the hatred what happened to him? HE'S GONE!

Michael Savage, hes gone....old video but now we have Great News

[erik4727]

@mrbriscoe2001 whoa, you careening down a dangerous ravine.i want to be the one to tell you that you need to stop seeing people who dont look like you or think like you as enemies. let me guess, you're one of those tea party whackos? "WHAA SOCIALISM, WHAAA CAPITALISM IS GONA CRUMBLE. WHAAAAA OPEN BORDERS" It's all bullshit my friend. it exposes you as an uneducated jackass.

[mrbriscoe2001]

@erik4727 We should be letting in enemies?if you have a problem with US capitalism---then maybe you don't belong here.It IS a capitalist country.Or should the number one people accepted be America_Hating Socialists?

[mrbriscoe2001]

@erik4727 ;"Simple as that,Bud"-I'm sorry,but the way you phrase your argument isn't simple or understandable. "Deport every criminal"-are you talking about illegal alien criminals? yes.I wouldn't have a problem with that.. Charge for legalization?You don't reward the people breaking the rules.;it sends the wrong message to people trying to do it the right way. "Our Immigration system is set up to favor those countries with better ties to the US".What on earth is wrong with that?