Hateful language is too often the standard for mainstream media while discussing undocumented immigrants and minorities.

Cristina Jimenez, Drum Major Institute

John Cole

Last month (June) I wrote about a Media Matters report that revealed that when it comes to immigration and undocumented immigrants, instead of news and/or facts, we are getting a bunch of lies and misinformation. Cable news anchors like CNN's Lou Dobbs and Fox's Bill O'Reilly use their "news shows" to promote a message of fear and anger, creating and encouraging hate and a strong sense of resentment against undocumented immigrants.

The result: (nothing positive of course) hate groups in the United States have increased by half since the year 2000 and the number of new anti-immigrant groups increased to 300.

Unlike the United States, as reported by the New York Times; England, Canada, Germany, France, the Netherlands, India, South Africa, and Australia have created laws or signed international conventions banning hate speech. In Canada for example, Maclean's magazine published the article "The Future Belongs to Islam," arguing in a biting tone that the "rise of Islam threatened Western values." The magazine was accused of violating a provincial hate speech law by stimulating hatred against Muslims and was put on trial. The Ontario Human Rights Commission dismissed a complaint against the magazine but stated, "By portraying Muslims as all sharing the same negative characteristics, including being a threat to 'the West,' this explicit expression of Islamophobia further perpetuates and promotes prejudice toward Muslims and others."

More...

Related:

Report: Fear & Loathing in Prime Time: Immigration Myths and Cable News, Media Matters Action Network

Fighting Against Radio's Hate-Spreading Shock Jocks, Rory O'Connor, AlterNet Books

Tell Dobbs, O'Reilly, and Beck it's time to end the fear mongering, Media Matters Action Network

Sign the petition, and demand that these hosts and their network bosses put an end to the fear-mongering and misinformation.