Thread: ABC Uses Actors to Demonstrate Racism AZ Immigration Law

ABC News Uses Actors to Demonstrate ‘Racism’ Surrounding AZ Immigration Law

Posted on February 3, 2011 at 10:51pm
by Meredith Jessup
Comments 54

In a segment for the network’s “What Would You Do?â€

ABC Sets Up Sting Operation to Find Racism in AZ Immigration Law, Hires Actor to Play a Bigot

By: Scott Whitlock
Thursday, February 03, 2011 12:45 PM EST
Video at the link

ABC and reporter John Quinones on Thursday stretched the bounds of journalism, hiring an actor to play a racist security guard as a way of testing how the people of Arizona would react to the state's "anti-immigration law."

Previewing the network's "What Would You Do?" segment for Friday's 20/20, Quinones explained the undercover concept: "So, I go undercover, pretending to be someone who is about to be arrested and deported, simply by the way I look." http://abcnews.go.com/WhatWouldYouDo/jo ... d=12822374

The piece featured a cartoonish "security guard" harassing Mexican actors in Tucson, Arizona. Presumably, ABC chose a security guard because impersonating a police officer is illegal. The actor walked into a restaurant and spewed, "I'm just looking to make sure these guys are legal citizens. And if they're not legal citizens, they shouldn't be here. They should be deported. They look Mexican." [MP3 audio here.] http://media.eyeblast.org/newsbusters/s ... inones.mp3

Of course, having this man pretend to be a security guard really makes no sense. (A security guard is going to deport people?) Secondly, for journalists that often attack conservative sting operations, it's rather odd to see ABC manipulate such a scenario

The Radio, Television and Digital News Association ethics guide states: http://www.rtnda.org/pages/media_items/ ... duct48.php "Use surreptitious newsgathering techniques, including hidden cameras or microphones, only if there is no other way to obtain stories of significant public importance and only if the technique is explained to the audience." Was this the only way ABC could do such a story?

Previewing the segment, Quinones misstated what Arizona's law actually is. He asserted, "So, we took our cameras down to Arizona, where a controversial, new law would give police the authority to question and perhaps deport anyone who, in their eyes, appears to be in the U.S. illegally."

This is false. Byron York of the Washington Examiner explained in an April 26, 2010 column:

Critics have focused on the term "reasonable suspicion" to suggest that the law would give police the power to pick anyone out of a crowd for any reason and force them to prove they are in the U.S. legally. Some foresee mass civil rights violations targeting Hispanics.

What fewer people have noticed is the phrase "lawful contact," which defines what must be going on before police even think about checking immigration status. "That means the officer is already engaged in some detention of an individual because he's violated some other law," says Kris Kobach, a University of Missouri Kansas City Law School professor who helped draft the measure. "The most likely context where this law would come into play is a traffic stop."

After playing clips of the "security guard" arguing with patrons as he harassed Mexicans, Quinones lectured, "And what we kept hearing over and over from folks was that they all knew about the anti-immigration law. What they didn't realize until we staged our scenario was how it might affect innocent people, Latinos, George who are in this country legally."

Notice the use of "anti-immigration" rather than anti-illegal immigration.

A previous "What Would You Do?" segment featured "ugly Americans" in Paris. In January of 2009, overweight and wearing George W. Bush t-shirts, these actors showcased obnoxious behavior in Europe. http://www.mrc.org/cyberalerts/2009/cyb20090108.asp#4

Quinones smeared, "They're the ugly Americans. And for more than a century, they've been fixtures in American literature and film."

A transcript of the February 3 segment, which aired at 7:44am EST, follows:

7:30am tease

ROBIN ROBERTS: Also this morning, imagine being threatened with deportation, even though you haven't committed a crime and it's all because of how you look. John Quinones goes undercover to Arizona's controversial immigration law.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: His ultimate, "What would you do?"

7:44

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: We're going to turn now to our undercover report from the front lines of the border wars. Arizona's immigration law passed last year. It stirred up a lot of controversy. So, John Quinones went to Tucson to put people's attitudes to an unusual test. And as I said earlier, this is sort of an ultimate, "What would you do?"



JOHN QUINONES: Yes. We took it all the way to Arizona. You know, what does, George, an illegal immigrant look like? What does he sound like? So, we took our cameras down to Arizona, where a controversial, new law would give police the authority to question and perhaps deport anyone who, in their eyes, appears to be in the U.S. illegally. So, I go undercover, pretending to be someone who is about to be arrested and deported, simply by the way I look. [Video of protests.] These people are protesting for and against Arizona's new immigration law. We travel 70 miles north, to Tucson, Arizona and install our hidden cameras at this popular restaurant. BK. Carne Asada and Hot Dogs. This security guard is an actor hired by What Would You Do? And so are the people he's harassing.

WHITE "SECURITY GUARD": Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt. If I could see some identification. You don't belong here.

QUINONES: How will patrons react to the guard asking for identification from a Latino man, a Latino family or even me?

WHITE "SECURITY GUARD": I just want to see some ID and make sure everything's okay. Everybody's like, "Oooh!" It's no big deal. I'm just looking to make sure these guys are legal citizens. And if they're not legal citizens, they shouldn't be here. They should be deported. They look Mexican.

QUINONES: The wheels in this woman's head are turning. But, wait until you hear her plan.

WHITE WOMAN: He just called for a ride. He's going to try and get him deported because he doesn't have any papers. You gotta get those two guys out of here.

WHITE "SECURITY GUARD": All I'm doing is I'm just looking out for everyone's safety.

WHITE WOMAN: You're racial profiling. You totally racial profiled!

WHITE "SECURITY GUARD": Looks like a duck, smells like a duck.

WHITE WOMAN: Looks like [bleeped] is [bleeped].

QUINONES: She then unveils her incredible plot to help me escape.

WHITE WOMAN: You guys have to get out of here. Do they need to go out the back door, do you think? Where's your car? Where's your car? Where's your car? I can drive over there and meet you right there.

QUINONES: Did she really say what we think she said?

WHITE WOMAN: You run out that door. And I'll bring your car right over there.

QUINONES: I'm a reporter. I'm with ABC News. I'm John Quinones.

WHITE WOMAN: Oh. I know who you are.

QUINONES: You jumped right in. You were going to take us in your car.

WHITE WOMAN: I was actually going to get your car and bring it around and meet you over there.

QUINONES: Why get involved?

WHITE WOMAN: Maybe you have family, mothers, children. And I would feel bad if you got separated from them and shipped across the other direction.

QUINONES: It's amazing how people responded. And what we kept hearing over and over from folks was that they all knew about the anti-immigration law. What they didn't realize until we staged our scenario was how it might affect innocent people, Latinos, George who are in this country legally.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Boy, it looks like a fascinating report. Okay, thanks, John. You can see it tomorrow night on Primetime. What Would You Do?"at 9/8 central.

— Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.

http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2011/20110203022207.aspx

Umm. this to me looks like the white woman stood up for the hispanic being racially profiled by the fake security guard who commited no crime and had no obligation to show a lame security guard papers. I'd take this as proof that racial profiling isn't the real worry.

It is disgusting to me that a network would concoct such an outrageous false scenario in order to scare people. It's not even legal for a cop to do demand documentation without cause so let's make people think it's legal for a SECURITY GUARD to do it? Can anyone say STOOPID???

ReformUSA2012 is right, racial profiling isn't the real worry in this situation

Every episode has some kind of race baiting crap in it!

Early life and educationJohn Quiñones was born in San Antonio, Texas on May 23, 1952. He grew up in a Spanish-speaking household and didn't learn English until he started school at age 6. Determined to overcome Hispanic stereotypes, he decided to attend college. After graduating from Brackenridge High School, Quiñones joined an Upward Bound program out of St. Mary's University, preparing him for college. After graduating from St. Mary's with a bachelor's degree in Speech Communication, Quiñones earned his master's degree from Columbia University's School of Journalism

[edit] CareerFrom 1975 to 1978, Quiñones was a news editor at KTRH radio in Houston, Texas. During that period, he also was an anchor-reporter for KPRC-TV. He was also a reporter with WBBM-TV in Chicago. In 1982, Quiñones joined ABC News as a general assignment correspondent based in Miami. Currently, he is a co-anchor of the ABC News program, Primetime. He also reports for all ABC News programs such as 20/20, Good Morning America, World News with Diane Sawyer and Nightline. Quiñones received a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech communications from St. Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas. He received a master's degree from the Columbia School of Journalism.

According to communications attorney Mark Lloyd, "Quiñones told the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) audience that he got his start because a San Antonio community organization threatened that if the stations didn't hire more Latinos, the group would go to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and challenge their licenses." [1]

[edit] AwardsGeorge Foster Peabody Award, 1999, ABC News, New York, New York, "ABC 2000" (also known as ABC 2000 Today.)

Awarded an ALMA Award from the National Council of La Raza

Won a CINE award for his report on suicide bombers in Israel
Won Gabriel Award for his report on young man's journey to reunite with his birth mother after two decades
6-time Emmy Award winner
Honored with World Hunger Media Award and a Citation from the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for his report on homeless children in Bogotá
[edit] BooksQuiñones, John (2009). Heroes Among Us: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Choices. Harper


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Qui%C3%B1ones

sheriff joe fired off a letter to ABC about this also

http://www.mcso.org/include/pr_pdf/John ... %20Pro.pdf

Shows like this are the very reason I quit watching most TV! First it was Medium, they portrayed Sheriff Joe in a sleazy way... boom no longer on my viewing list.

Then it was Undercover boss and Chiquita Bananas proudly touting their illegal alien CEO and him fawning all over his illegal alien work crews out in the fields and gushing about the "opportunities" working for Chiquita gave him. Another show bites the dust on my viewing list.

Hollywood loves to make law abiding and patriotic citizens out to be racist rednecks, and try to show us the "enlightened way". But seeing as they all live behind walls in their gated communities, and travel with their own "security" they can take their "enlightened"ways and shove 'em ( just my personal opinion).

Originally Posted by jamesw62

sheriff joe fired off a letter to ABC about this also

http://www.mcso.org/include/pr_pdf/John ... %20Pro.pdf

Here it is:

Maricopa County Sheriff's Office
Joe Arpaio Sherif)'
Ph: 602-876-1801
Fax: 602-251-3877 100 West Washington, Suite 1900 Switchboard: 602-876-1000 Phoenix, AZ 85003 www.mcso.org
Febmary 4, 2011

Mr. John Quinones, Reporter
20/20 News Magazine
147 Columbus Ave
New York City, NY 10023

Mr. John Quinones:
I have seen a portion of your piece set to air tonight on 20/20 which shows how you think SB 1070 (Arizona's new immigration law) will be enforced in Arizona by law enforcement professionals. This "staged reporting" couldn't be further from the tmth. In fact, your story is replete with untmths and conjecture and has several nefarious motives -to enflame the public -to embarrass the State of Arizona in front of a national audience not unlike what New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg did earl ier this week-and to bring discredit to law enforcement professionals in general.

This staged and silly report depicts a security guard who walks into a Tucson taco house demanding to see proof of the patron's citizen papers because some of the people there "look Mexican" and if they are in the U.S. illegally, your actor claims they "should be deported."

No law enforcement officer properly trained in SB 1070 mles and regulations would ever conduct
himself in such a manner. If there were proof that one of my deputies did what this story shows, he
would be severely disciplined and would likely lose hislher job. Law enforcement professionals cannot
inquire about someone's immigration status simply because we think someone may be here illegally.
That's what your story leads your viewers to believe and it is summarily untme.
Sincerely,
~ n
~~~-~
Joseph M. Arpaio
Sheriff

Related: http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-1180234.html#1180234