Reporting on Illegal Immigrants

There has been much discussion in the last few days about a policy we have here at FM News/Talk 92.3 KTAR regarding our reporting on crime.

The local NBC television affiliate led their newscast on Tuesday night with a story on KTAR's policy.

What is that policy? Simply put, we generally include the immigration status of suspects in our reporting on crime. If police tell us that a suspect is in the country illegally, we tell you that in our news reporting. Some other news departments in the state join us in having a similar policy. Others adamantly disagree with it.

The Arizona Republic actively removes any mention of legal status in the vast majority of their crime reporting. Channel 12, and a couple other TV stations do the same.

We have a different view at KTAR.

Why?

Every poll done by any organization seeking to learn what the population thinks are the biggest problems in this state always see the exact same result. Every poll shows that residents of this state overwhelmingly view illegal immigration as THE biggest problem. There is no exception. That's not me, KTAR, or anyone else saying that. It's the people of this state.

When the people of this state vote, they consistently and overwhelmingly approve the toughest anti-immigration laws that are put on the ballot. The public in recent years has demanded that judges ask the residency status of suspects in their courtrooms. The public overwhelmingly wants law enforcement to ask the people they pick up on the streets whether they are here legally or not.

Why would it be different for the media?

It's not.

Some people claim we are showing bias in reporting residency status. I agree. We are. And, those who choose to censor immigration status out of crime reporting are also showing clear bias. They are choosing to hold information back from the public. Why?

I am a champion of giving the public as much information as possible. The audience can then interpret the information as they wish and make appropriate judgments on their own. We will always be responsible in our reporting. Our news department will not use immigration, race, economic status, marital status, religion, etc in our stories in an irresponsible manner.

What we will do is give the KTAR listener information. What we will not do is view ourselves in an elitist manner, supposing our degrees or professional training make us better than the information consumer and entitle us to be the ultimate gatekeeper whose job it is to determine what the public can and cannot deal with in our stories.

When our newspapers and some of our television stations act that way it disguists me. It shows how out of touch they are and how biased they've become in their news judgment and news presentation. This is one of the main reasons that so many people are now turning to the Internet and radio for their news. I don't expect the trend to change anytime soon.

Comments

[Dave]

Thank you KTAR. Keep up the good work.

[Joe Jacari]

LIB JOHN SAID:
to make things fare then the next time a white person commits a crime say
Redneck was found drunk on scene when a black person committs a crime report Nigger was caught red handed Yep doesnt sound right nor does profiling people.

All you need to include on a report is
Age, Sex, Height, Nationality and legal status.

JOE JACARI SAYS:
Don't be a Leibo-dolt. What the hell does "nationality" tell you?

What you need is an accurate, full description: Hispanic male, Caucasian male, Black male, Asian male, six feet four, 200 lbs., wearing a white cap, blue shorts, etc.

Just the facts not the racism.

Because you know, if your son or daughter was harmed by a big, bad man, you'd want to know every detail so that they could catch the rat.

Now go get a life!

[John]

to make things fare then next time a white person commits a crime say

Redneck was found drunk on scene

when a black person committs a crime report

Nigger was caught red handed

Yep doesnt sound right

nor does profiling people.

all you need to include on a report is
Age Sex HEight Nationality and but legal status?

[Joe Jacari]

DM L. SAYS: "...If the suspect looks, acts, smells a particular way - even if the suspect is a German who appears to be Hispanic - it's good viable information..."

JOE JACARI SAYS: Let me clue you in on the typical, Leibowitz-style lib statement from DM (Dumb Muchacho) above.

The potential that there is one, maybe a few, Germans that look Hispanic--and are not--therefore there should be no "profiling" because the exception (German that looks Hispanic) may have his rights violated, is the psychotic liberal mind in action.

I say go after the majority of Hispanic-looking illegals (in a legal, respectful way), and if a few dark-skinned Germans accidentally get asked for ID when they are doing something wrong, oh friggen' well.

No harm in checking the identity of immigrants--from any country!

Of course, aborting babies by the millions in the third-trimester, well that's OK. The earth is overpopulated anyway. Isn't that what the liberals say?

You dumb a**es...

[DM L.]

Thank You !    'ALL' the facts are relavant, especially when we are informed of a suspect still on the loose. If the suspect looks, acts, smells a particular way - even if the suspect is a German who appears to be Hispanic - it's good viable information. Otherwise, its good to know another law breaking illegal alien, no matter where they from, is off the street.

[Kevin]

AMEN KTAR!!! Good for you! It is about time some news sources present the information as it is. Politically correct or not.

[Aaron F]

KTAR, you are the news source in which I get all my news. Of course that is because I spend 2 hours a day in traffic.

With the mounting pressure to be politically correct, I salute you for not bending on this policy. Too many citizens have taken the path of least resistance (the new American way?) and have been keeping their heads down (or buried in the sand). I am glad that Ankarlo and Mack take issue with the immigration debate, even in light of the only arguement that they think they have... Calling people racists.

[Ken C]

Though I don't listen to you guys anymore (FM) due to the changes in lineup etc (thats a different subject) I whole heartedly agree and back you 100% on your stations stance for reporting the legal status of criminals. Keep up the good work.

[steven k scottsdale]

ktar has been a bright light covering phoenix news for years.

congratulations on taking a stand that informs our community regarding all information on crime as possible. to do anything less constitutes failure by a broadcaster of their fcc mandated license responsibility of serving their community.

newspapers are protected by our constitution regarding its right to print. however, to not follow ktar's policy is being negligent to its duty.

cordially,
stevenk

[Jan]

Remember the Ramos and Compean cases that Osvaldo Alrete-Davila, the drug smuggler whose testimony put the two border agents in prison had been arrested for a second marijuana load! According to numerous sources, including worldNetDaily.com,Alredete-Davila was arrested yesterday at the El Paso bordercrossing on charges stemming from his "second load"--when he smuggled 750 lbs. of marijuana into the U.S. afterreceiving medical treatment at government expense andimmunity from U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton.

[Joe Jacari]

What we need to protect the community from predators is the approximate: height, weight, skin color/race, age, eye color, hair color, clothing, etc. of the perpetrator.

Police should give a full description.

Also, the newspapers should really emphasize crimes committed by illegal aliens so that the public gets angry and kicks their illegal asses out of America.

Somebody needs to start a conservative paper that has the b*lls to list the race of criminals on the loose so that our kids are safer from the evil devils, be they white, black, orange, brown, yellow, purple or whatever.

I know, I know. This is shocking to you since you suckled at the bosom of David Leibosheist radio for so long, and have been liberalized into a state of moral paralysis and socially-passive imbecility.

That's what the libs want you to be! Sheep!

It's time to grow up people!

[ronald alonzo]

I can appreciate your position...One point you are missing is that When a lawbreaker is picked up say for instance leaving the child while working six hours NOTHING was said of her immigration status....I only hear when the wrong doer or suspect looks foreigner because of skin color or type of I D. I just want to hear today we card some while investigating a crime and we asked for immigration status after all there are some people that were able to get licenses in the past

[Mike R]

I wholeheartedly and 100% BACK you and KTAR in the decision to broadcast the FACTS. I feel that it is news, it IS relavant to report all of the facts in a case, whether some segments of society get offended or not. In my case, this has additional impact because I live in Chandler, I live very near the latest attack/break in, and I need to know WHO TO LOOK FOR. It has come to light that some of the victims were Hispanic. To me, though I am not an anthropologist or social scientist, I would say that I can trust the description as given. It IS important to know the facts, just like learning that the father that murdered his children had a history of prior offenses. It is important facts to know, and the responsibility of a TRUE news organization to give us all the details. Good job KTAR!