Univision's Shaky Commitment to Truth in Labeling

September 23rd, 2014 5:40 PM

Individuals and groups who have no quarrels with the affairs of legal immigrants to the United States - but who oppose continued illegal immigration and the ongoing collapse of U.S. immigration law enforcement - are frequently tarred by network anchors and reporters with the patently offensive and inaccurate label of "anti-immigrant."

A Univision news story over the weekend about a cancelled border protest illustrates the issue. While in her introduction to the story anchor Arantxa Loizaga accurately referred to event plans by "protesters against illegal immigration," reporter Juan Carlos González once again employed the grossly inaccurate, broad-brush label of "anti-immigrant groups" when referring to the same protesters.

An English translation, along with the original Spanish version, of the above-referenced segment is transcribed below.

Noticiero Univision Fin de Semana

September 20, 2014

6:34 p.m. Eastern

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Cancelled Protest]

LOIZAGA: U.S. protesters against illegal immigration planned to block traffic in more than a dozen border checkpoints today in the states of Texas, California, New Mexico and Arizona. But the organizer of this boycott against Obama immigration policies cancelled the protest, saying threats were received from Mexican drug cartels. From Arizona, Juan Carlos González has for us the reaction.

GONZÁLEZ: The blockade of border crossing points by anti-immigrant groups programmed for today did not take place due to supposed threats…

ORIGINAL (SPANISH):

[TÍTULO EN PANTALLA: Protesta Cancelada]

LOIZAGA: Manifestantes estadounidenses contra la inmigración ilegal tenían planeado bloquear hoy al tránsito en más de una decena de cruces fronterizos en los estados de Texas, California, Nuevo México y Arizona. Pero la organizadora de este boicot en rechazo a las políticas de inmigración de Obama canceló la protesta diciendo que recibió amenazas de los cárteles mexicanos de la droga. Juan Carlos González desde Arizona nos tiene las reacciones.

GONZÁLEZ: El bloqueo de puntos fronterizos por parte de grupos antiinmigrantes programado para hoy no se realizó debido a supuestas amenazas…”