6 February 2012, 5:07 pm
It’s hard to imagine a worse example of media bias than the national coverage of illegal immigration. Every week, it seems there are stories across the United States that minimize the issues of illegal immigration and border security. But look at the facts and the media’s bias towards illegal immigrants is clear. Many reporters often neglect to mention that the immigrants they write about are illegal immigrants. For example, in an article that appeared in the San Antonio Express-News last year, “Hunt for border-crossers is on ground and in air,” the reporter used the words “immigrant” and “immigration” five times but couldn’t bring himself once to use the word “illegal.” It’s not right to gloss over the difference between legal and illegal and call them both immigrants. There’s a huge difference, and political correctness shown by some reporters cannot bridge the gap. Illegal immigration and securing the U.S.-Mexico border are serious concerns for millions of Americans, but it seems some reporters try to diminish these issues. For example, several newspapers, including the Washington Post, have published editorials and articles claiming that the border is more secure than ever. Despite this growing media chorus that repeats the Obama administration’s talking points, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office recently found that less than half of the Southwest border is under operational control. Less than 50 percent is a failing grade and reporters should not gloss over this fact. Because the Obama administration has failed to secure the U.S.-Mexico border and enforce our immigration laws, illegal immigrants continue to live in the U.S., taking away scarce jobs from citizens and legal immigrants and soaking up taxpayer-funded resources. But when you read a newspaper, chances are you don’t read about these problems. Recently, in a New York Times article, the reporter cited a questionable study that recommends we give amnesty to illegal immigrants to increase revenue for state and federal agencies. But the reporter failed to mention that there is a consensus among nonpartisan economists that illegal immigrants are a fiscal drain on American taxpayers. A majority of illegal immigrants have less than a high-school education and have well below average incomes. The nonpartisan National Research Council found that an illegal immigrant without a high-school degree will impose a net cost on taxpayers of $89,000 over his or her lifetime. Illegal immigrants also pay little in income taxes. Low-skilled workers very often pay no income taxes and receive tax credits from the Internal Revenue Service. In fact, illegal immigrants received $4.2 billion in tax credits last year. http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/290292/media-ignores-facts-illegal-immigration-lamar-smith If reading is a hardship for you, skip this question.... Read More »
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