Biased Reporting on Illegal Aliens

[cwo_ghwebb]

The Washington Compost ombudsman tries to explain away the obvious bias in her paper. I understand bias in the editorial section, that's where bias of any stripe belongs, but not in 'hard' news stories.

FTA: 'Readers are right that some journalists tend to write sympathetically about the underdog. But you cannot ignore the human story. "It's impossible to cover this issue without the challenges faced by people who are here illegally. We have tried not to be repetitive in those stories," Halsey said.'

Underdog? Are all criminals underdogs?

Another great line: The Post does not use "alien" in news stories and prefers "illegal immigrant." Even if "alien" is legal terminology, to me, it sounds like someone from outer space. "Undocumented workers" is also discouraged. The Post stylebook says of "undocumented": "When used to describe immigrants, this is a euphemism that obscures an important fact -- that they are in this country illegally."

Undocumented? These folks have tons of fake 'documentation', also illegal.

Time for the Compost to wake up and take a deep whiff.

washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines

 

[FromTexas]

The Washington Compost ombudsman tries to explain away the obvious bias in her paper. I understand bias in the editorial section, that's where bias of any stripe belongs, but not in 'hard' news stories.

FTA: 'Readers are right that some journalists tend to write sympathetically about the underdog. But you cannot ignore the human story. "It's impossible to cover this issue without the challenges faced by people who are here illegally. We have tried not to be repetitive in those stories," Halsey said.'

Underdog? Are all criminals underdogs?

Another great line: The Post does not use "alien" in news stories and prefers "illegal immigrant." Even if "alien" is legal terminology, to me, it sounds like someone from outer space. "Undocumented workers" is also discouraged. The Post stylebook says of "undocumented": "When used to describe immigrants, this is a euphemism that obscures an important fact -- that they are in this country illegally."

Undocumented? These folks have tons of fake 'documentation', also illegal.

Time for the Compost to wake up and take a deep whiff.

washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines

What is wrong with them encouraging the term illegal immigrant over undocumented worker or illegal alien? I think undocumented worker does obscure the fact they are here illegally. As far as post writers being sympathetic... well, duh.

 

[cwo_ghwebb]

What is wrong with them encouraging the term illegal immigrant over undocumented worker or illegal alien? I think undocumented worker does obscure the fact they are here illegally. As far as post writers being sympathetic... well, duh.

The legal term is 'illegal alien'. The Compost objects to legal terms, another great example of their writing and bias. Mostly they won't even use the word 'illegal'.

 

[Lenny]

The legal term is 'illegal alien'. The Compost objects to legal terms, another great example of their writing and bias. Mostly they won't even use the word 'illegal'.

The liberal press and helping-agencies must continue to use immigrant as this evokes images of the Irish, Polish, and other European immigrants from the 1800's and 1900's who waved their floppy hats as their ships passed the Statue of Liberty. Using the word alien would evoke images of little green men and other unsympathetic images.

Remember the principal rule of argument, "He who controls the vocabulary controls the discourse." Remember "It all depends on what is is" a few years ago?

 

[Mateo]

There are some here who remember when Washington had 3 newspapers. Then because of the competition the WP had to adjust with its audience..nowadays, despite the WT , one thing I have noticed when I do have occasion to read the WP, it has a tendency to flipflop or bend to whatever PC wind is blowing at the time.
As an immigrant myself(and now a very proud Citizen) I resent these newcomers who think they are eligible imediately w/out paying the dues. One contractor (and I use the word loosely) even had the temerity to come around when he thought I wasn't home to pursue my wife. Imagine his surprise when I met him at the door with a loaded Mauser.
Call a spade a spade and an illegal alien, an illegal alien.

 

[Lenny]

Call a spade a spade and an illegal alien, an illegal alien.

Except that today we have to call a spade a "long-handled horticultural implement with a pointed metallic blade designed for the piercing and removal of topsoil."

 

[FromTexas]

The legal term is 'illegal alien'. The Compost objects to legal terms, another great example of their writing and bias. Mostly they won't even use the word 'illegal'.

Their rules that you post say they discourage using undocumented worker and encourage using illegal. What you quoted from them doesn't support what you are arguing.

 

[cwo_ghwebb]

Their rules that you post say they discourage using undocumented worker and encourage using illegal. What you quoted from them doesn't support what you are arguing.

I'm sorry for not making myself clear. The Compost would rather use 'illegal immigrant' than the legal term 'illegal alien'. When they don't use the term 'illegal immigrant' they want to use 'illegal worker'.

Convoluted logic to make their point they don't want to call a spade a spade and to quote Lenny they want to call a spade a "long-handled horticultural implement with a pointed metallic blade designed for the piercing and removal of topsoil."

Socialist logical response:

Biased Reporting on... 03-03-2008 10:50 AM idiot

 

[Mateo]

Except that today we have to call a spade a "long-handled horticultural implement with a pointed metallic blade designed for the piercing and removal of topsoil."

OOps...my lack of PC is showing..LOL.

 

[Toxick]

Even if "alien" is legal terminology, to me, it sounds like someone from outer space.

This is a legit concern.

We don't want to confuse foreigners who are here illegally with extraterrestrials who are here illegally.

 

[cwo_ghwebb]

This is a legit concern.

We don't want to confuse foreigners who are here illegally with extraterrestrials who are here illegally.

I totally agree because soon the MD legislature will have to consider giving extraterrestrials who are here illegally in-state tuition costs after putting them at the head of the line for being a minority.