Posted on 03/26/2006 5:15:04 AM PST by chicagolady
CHICAGO (25 March '06)--Many of those involved in the Illinois Minuteman Project believe the Chicago media is biased towards illegal immigrants. At best the media is ill informed and at worst it is simply the propaganda arm for the Democratic Party and the Clan of Bridgeport. Recently, I was invited to appear on WGN's TV-News program, Adelante, as a representative of The Illinois Minuteman Project to see if what we believe about the media is true. What happened was an eye-opener.
I was asked to represent the IMP by its director Rosana Pulido. She was told to send someone who would be on the program with a woman representing the Latino community to talk about U. S. House of Representative's Bill H. R. 4437. That bill would make being an illegal immigrant in the U. S. a felony crime. When I arrived at the TV station and was taken to the green room, I soon discovered what I had prepared for was not going to happen. The discussion I planned to attend turned into a setup.
From the beginning, the program got off to a biased start. I was introduced as a representative of the "controversial" Illinois Minuteman Project. Whoever wrote the script never questioned why it is controversial to want the immigration laws of your country enforced. Then, Judie Garcia, a WGN TV reporter speaking on tape suggested that H. R. 4437 would make being an immigrant in this country illegal, when in fact if you are here without the proper papers you are already illegal. No one at WGN TV-News ever thought to edit that error out of the video tape.
Instead of a representative from the Latino community, I shared the program with an Irishman who was in the U. S. on a visa. He was a speaker at the recent rally opposing H. R. 4437 and owns a restaurant in Chicago. He is planning to open another one across from Chicago's new Millennium Park, too. He did not want to talk about the legislation, but instead talk about how over a century ago there were signs in New York City saying, "No Irish Need Apply." I tried to tell him he had a 19th century view of immigration and was imposing it on a 21st century problem. He never got my point.
When the mayor of Chicago spoke on video tape from the rally, he said "Don't let anyone call you an immigrant. Everyone in America is an immigrant." I responded by saying this statement by the mayor was nonsense. If the mayor called everyone in America an immigrant, how, then, can you not call someone an immigrant?" Before I could say the mayor was as confused as his immigration policies, I was jumped on by both the Irishman and the moderator of the program, Juan Carlos Fanjul. It was now two against one. I had thought as moderator Juan Carlos was supposed to be neutral and not rise to the defense of the mayor.
After that, I wanted to bring up the issue of media bias, but there was no time remaining. Instead, I was repeatedly called a racist. No one at WGN TV-News seemed to remember the racist group La Raza, that promotes an Hispanic agenda in the U. S., or the newspaper called La Raza, or El Dia de la Raza celebrated in Mexico. When the very name of your group is "The Race" how can the Illinois Minuteman Project be called racist and La Raza not be?
I wanted also to point out that in Chicago, the newspapers and TV news are not free to do objective reporting on illegal immigration because they buy into the sanctuary cities program ordered by the mayor. Reporters say I am being racist when I claim that illegal immigrants are a source of crime in our community, but if a reporter wanted to prove me wrong, he couldn't. If someone is arrested for a crime like murder, robbery, or drug possession in Chicago, because of the mayor's order, the police cannot inquire into their immigration status, so, we never know how many criminals are illegal immigrants.
A Chicago reporter can publish the name of an offender, his age and sex, but not his immigration status. Certainly, the community has a right to know that, and the media has an obligation to report it. When 850,000 illegal immigrants enter the country each year, reporting a person's immigration status when he is arrested for a crime is an important piece of information, something a free press should feel obligated to do.
Afterwards, when I proposed that WGN TV-News and the Tribune newspaper take their investigative reporting more seriously, I was not heard. I propose that WGN send a news crew over to the restaurant that our supporter of illegal immigration owns and then do an investigative report to see how many illegal immigrants work there. The media had no problem doing that to the Republican candidate for governor, Jim Oberweis, why not do the same for someone who isn't even a citizen? Perhaps Juan Carlos can do that investigation. He recently won an award as a reporter for, "His eagerness to dig deeper and tell compelling stories."
I propose, also, that the media look more closely at itself. There is good information that suggests the Tribune newspaper, the newspaper that seems not to report objectively about illegal immigration, is in fact delivered door to door under the cover of darkness by illegal immigrants. Who will investigate that story for the Tribune or broadcast that news on WGN TV? It's time for the media to stop calling the Illinois Minuteman Project controversial or racist and look in the mirror.
Robert Klein Engler lives in Chicago. His book, A WINTER OF WORDS, about the turmoil at Daley College, is available from amazon.com.
Immigration Ping
I think this is a textbook example of why the right should avoid situations where the media controls the playing field. They will change the rules as needed to deliver the message they want delivered. I think interviews in the field are better - the reporter doesn't have nearly the same chance to control the debate.
Your point is well taken. But at the same time you want to give a journalist the benifit of the doubt that they will handle things professionally.
I guess I am asking toooooo Much!
Despite years of evidence to the contrary? At some point you have to realize that the modern journalist is about presenting an agenda, not presenting the news.
Every time I turn on the TV or radio in Chicagoland the intensity of their bias grows.
If all the ILLEGAL MEXICANS VOTE Democrat,
The CONSERVATIVES are DEAD !!
To express your concern about illegal immigration, Boycott the Catholic Church by withholding your donations to the collection baskets on Sunday!
The Bishops will have an immediate Change of heart when they don't get the money that is necessary to support their way on life!
Yeah. You are exactly right. This is about new voters for the Democratic Party. The Dems have read white Christians out of the Party, so they need another victim group in large numbers.
If Bush legalizes these people, the Republicans will be out of power for twenty years.
If the corporate culture of the Tribune/LA Slimes is one of lies and fake news reporting, can anyone trust their books re circulation numbers? It is probably a safe bet that the TRB has been Enroning/cooking its books for years.
Below is the 6 month graph of major losers in the lying fishwrap game. The Tribune/TRB is leading the pack of losers in a free fall.
WGN is owned by the Tribune Company, which also publishes the pro-illegal immigration Hoy in Chicago and New York. Along with the Chicago Tribune you have in the company such rabid left-wing newspapers as the LA Times and the Baltimore Sun. It also owns the perennial second rate Chicago Cubs. To get involved in anything having to do with WGN or the Tribune Comany is a sucker's game.
Unfortunately this is the high point for conservatism, the dems play hardball, while we only have the hapless GOP in our corner (sort of).
Once illegals are allowed without impugnity, we are goners.
President Bush has turned his backs on us and failed us miserably.
Where is the CONSERVATIVE OUTRAGE??????
All Americans are not "immigrants." My family has lived here for 130 years. I did not immigrate to the US - I was born here.
When is WGN going to "dig deeper" into all of Mayor Daley's corruption rackets? How about now, Juan Carlos, to stupid idiot?
How about now, Juan Carlos, to stupid idiot?
YES!!
20? More like 50+ years unless the GOP moves radically to the left.
I want immigration reform, but many give reasons that are ill-considered and bogus. What I see around me makes me worry. I know that I really have no rights when I am surrounded by so many people who have none. We are overlooking indentured servitude, sex trafficking etc when we ignore illegal immigration.
Check out Diversity visas and see if you agree with the program that is filling my neghborshood with Bengalis, leagally.
My family has been here since 1706, I think I'm a native by now!
Please extend my condolences to Mr. Engle for his having to endure such a public flogging by illogic. Perhaps you, who are familiar with these tactics and also well spoken, can represent the next time the media sniffs around for a patsy. They'd also have a much harder time implying racism toward a woman of Latino appearance.
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