GOP Debate Puts National Spotlight On Fox's Use Of "Illegals" Slur
mediamatters.org
September 23, 2011 7:33 pm ET

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At the Fox News-Google GOP presidential debate, co-moderator Chris Wallace used the pejorative term "illegals" to refer to undocumented immigrants and read a question from the public that used the term, as well. Journalists have called on the media to stop using the term "illegals," but Fox's "straight news" shows use it consistently nonetheless.

Wallace Uses Term "Illegals" Twice Himself, Asks Question From Public That Uses It Three Times

Wallace Tells Romney, "You Vetoed Legislation To Provide Interstate Tuition Rates To The Children Of Illegals."

From the debate:
WALLACE: Governor Romney, I want to continue a conversation that you had with Governor Perry in the last debate. In Massachusetts, you vetoed legislation to provide in-state tuition rates to the children of illegals. Governor Perry, of course, signed the Texas DREAM Act to do exactly that.

But what about Governor Perry's argument that it's better to get these kids an education and to get them jobs than to consign them just to being a burden on the state? [Fox News, Fox News-Google Presidential Debate, 9/22/11]
Question Chosen For Inclusion In Debate Uses "Illegals" Three Times. From the debate:
WALLACE: Governor Perry, I'm going to ask you a question, so you don't need to respond to him, because you're going to get a full minute to answer your question, which is on directly this point. You're the candidate whose name, by a wide margin, came up most often in the questions being submitted to all of you candidates about immigration.

Dave Hollenbeck of Arizona sent this: "To date, it appears that you have not tried to stop the illegals from coming. We have high unemployment and a considerable amount of jobs going to illegals. Are you going to exert an effort to stop the abuse of U.S. citizens by illegals?" [Fox News, Fox News-Google Presidential Debate, 9/22/11]
Wallace: "More Than 16,000 Children Of Illegals" Paid In-State Tuition In Texas Last Year. From the debate:
WALLACE: Now, last year, more than 16,000 children of illegals, young people in Texas, took advantage of your in-state tuition rate. Speak to that issue. And just, generally, how do you feel being criticized by a number of these other candidates on the stage for being too soft on immigration, sir? [Fox News, Fox News/Google Presidential Debate, 9/22/11]
Term "Illegal" Dominates Word Cloud Of Public's Immigration Questions

Baier: Word Cloud "Shows The Words That Were Used Most Often In All Of The Questions You Asked About Immigration." From the debate:
BRET BAIER (co-moderator): After the break, we will be tackling foreign policy, government spending. Shannon [Bream] will have more on that, too. And also the issue of immigration.

Now, here for a preview of what's to come, let's take a look at what's called a word cloud. It shows the words that were used most often in all of the questions you asked about immigration. The bigger the word, the more often it was used.

The biggest word in this cloud, as you see, is "illegal." [Fox News, Fox News-Google GOP Debate, 9/22/11]
Word Cloud Dominated By "Illegal." From the debate:
http://mediamatters.org/research/201109 ... t+Items%29