MediaWatch: December 1994
Table of Contents:
- MediaWatch: December 1994
- Networks Assail Proposition 187 As "Racist" and "Inhumane," Ignore Proponents' Arguements
- NewsBites: Rather on Race
- Revolving Door: Another Journal Entry
- Media Outlets Scold "Rabid Attack Dog...Darling of the Ultra-Right"
- An "Intolerant Bigot"?
- Capitol Hill Waste
- Newt: Time's Reagan Replacement
- Janet Cooke Award: CBS Packs Story with Emotional Anecdotes, Dire Predictions, Liberal Advocacy Research
Networks Assail Proposition 187 As "Racist" and "Inhumane," Ignore Proponents' Arguements
California, There You Go...Again
No ballot proposal received more national attention this fall than California's Proposition 187, the initiative to deny illegal aliens the right to welfare, free non-emergency medical care, and public education. But what kind of attention did it receive?
To determine if the networks gave equal coverage to both sides, MediaWatch analysts reviewed the 30 Proposition 187 stories which aired on the four network evening news shows (ABC's World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, CNN's World News, and NBC Nightly News) from October 16 to the end of November. More than 75 percent of the stories aired were anti-187. Talking heads who opposed 187 outnumbered proponents by more than 2 to 1.
Arguments. Analysts counted the number of arguments made for or against the measure in each story, along with the number of talking heads in support or opposition. Stories with a disparity of greater than 1.5 to 1 in favor of the arguments and/or talking heads of one side were categorized as pro- or anti-187. Stories closer than the ratio were classified as neutral. Opponents of of Proposition 187 argued: it was racist, immoral, inhumane or led to fear in immigrant communities; it would lead to a loss of federal funds or an increase in poverty, homelessness, juvenile crime or public health hazards; and that denying services to illegals was unconstitutional.
Among the arguments forwarded by those in favor of Prop. 187: that illegal aliens are not entitled to the same benefits available to citizens or legal immigrants; that costs are soaring to provide welfare, health care, and incarceration for illegal immigrants; that states are burdened with the costs to educate the children of illegal aliens; that schools are also burdened (e.g., overcrowded classrooms, multilingual education).
Of the 30 stories analyzed, 23 (77 percent) were categorized as anti-187. Three stories fell into the neutral category, and only four stories were categorized as pro-187. Overall, arguments mentioned in opposition of 187 outnumbered those in favor by almost 5 to 1 (48 to 10). Not one network questioned whether illegal immigrants are entitled to the same benefits as legal residents, presented any arguments about the possible fiscal impact of continued illegal immigration, or mentioned the term "unfunded mandates."
Talking Heads. Overall, talking heads opposed to passage of Proposition 187 outnumbered those in favor 63 to 30. Eight stories (more than 25 percent) featured only anti-187 soundbites.
Among the networks, CBS ran the most decidedly negative campaign. All five stories were anti-187, with arguments running 10 to 0 against, and a talking-head ratio of more than 2 to 1 against. Of the seven stories aired on CNN, six (86 percent) were anti-187. Arguments against 187 ran ahead of those in support by a count of 8 to 1, and anti-187 talking heads enjoyed a 3-to-1 advantage.
ABC aired the most stories (10), but nine were dominated by the opponents of 187. Opponents were given three times more soundbites than supporters (17-5) and five times the arguments (15-3). NBC provided by far the most balanced airing: three pro-187 stories, two neutral, and three anti-187. While NBC came close to giving equal access to opponents and proponents (17-15), arguments against 187 ran ahead of those in favor by a margin of greater than 2 to 1.
Before the Vote. Unlike TV coverage of health reform, which focused almost exclusively on the effects of doing nothing, pre-election Prop. 187 coverage focused on the disastrous effects passage would have on illegal immigrants. In 13 stories, arguments against passage outnumbered those in favor by 18 to 8. Talking heads ran more than 2 to 1 against.
ABC's Judy Muller announced on the October 27 World News Tonight: "In the last couple of weeks, opponents of Proposition 187 have pounded away at their message; that the measure is inhumane, racist and a threat to public safety." On October 19, CNN's Judy Woodruff weighed in on World News: "[Gov. Pete] Wilson is ahead in the polls with less than three weeks to go, but his embrace of Prop. 187 has made him a target for its opponents. They argue that it would deny immigrants basic health services, raise the risk of communicable diseases spreading, deny children an education, and deplete a critical low-wage labor pool." Neither presented arguments for 187.
After the Vote. Network coverage after the election focused on fear among immigrants, despite the fact courts had blocked most of its implementation. On the November 17 NBC Nightly News, David Bloom reported: "The City of Los Angeles today joined the ranks of those fighting the measure, the city attorney saying Proposition 187 will cause more homelessness, more crime, more poverty."
CBS reporter Sandra Hughes assailed the measure on the November 23 Evening News: "Most of Proposition 187 hasn't been enacted because of a temporary restraining order, but advocates for the immigrant community claim that hasn't stopped people from using the voter mandate to harass and intimidate....It may take years to sort out the legal issues, but some feel the damage from 187 is already done, and the result is a climate of fear for many in the immigrant community."
ABC's Brian Rooney, on the November 24 World News Tonight, also fo- cused on the fear: "A California judge has stopped, for now, the enforcement of most of Proposition 187, but many people in the community are still afraid. The illegal immigrants who do come [to public health clinics] say their friends and family would rather risk illness than being deported."
In an October 27 CBS Evening News story on referendums, Hughes complained: "People are taking the government into their hands this election season through ballot initiatives -- proposed laws written directly by citizens or special interest groups without the intervention of legislators. And now voters have to figure it out....the result is often poorly written initiatives."
Ironically, when the media had the opportunity to explain the arguments both for and against Proposition 187 and help the voters "figure it out," they failed to explore any of the legal or political reasoning behind it. The result was poorly produced news stories.
