“Selling the Anti-Immigration Story” by Beau Hodai ran in the June issue of Extra! magazine, a publication of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. The article details a media blitz by the Federation for American Immigration Reform and how little scrutiny the controversial group draws as a result.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (not to be confused with the media watch group FAIR), recently held its fourth “Hold Their Feet to the Fire” event in Washington, D.C. The April 5–7 gathering saw the cozy confluence of freshman lawmakers, veteran creatures of the Hill such as journalist/speechwriter Patrick Buchanan and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R.-Maine), and nearly 50 radio personalities broadcasting from “Radio Row.”
In past years Lou Dobbs, known for his anti-immigrant vitriol (FAIR Media Advisory, 11/12/09), had broadcast both his nationally syndicated radio show and his former CNN show from the event. Radio broadcasters present this year were marshaled by Rodger Hedgecock of the right-wing Radio America network.
According to the group’s promotional materials, the Federation is a public policy foundation that has dedicated its existence to educating the public on the economic and social dangers of current immigration policy and illegal immigration. The group’s tax filings over the past several years show that the largest share of its more than $7 million annual budget goes to its media department (nearly $1.8 million, according to latest available tax returns, 2008).
Read the entire article here.