Jackson Free Press

The Society of Professional Journalists is urging reporters and editors to stop using the phrases "illegal immigrant" and "illegal alien." At its annual convention in New Orleans last month, SPJ delegates passed a resolution to ask journalists to apply the organization's code of ethics when writing about undocumented workers.

Editors also cringe at the informal use of the adjective "illegal" as a noun. Grammatically, it's wrong. Psychologically, it reveals a belief that some humans have no right to exist.

One of the ideals expressed in the code is a journalist's quest to be "honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information." The reality, however, is that media outlets frequently use phrases such as "illegal immigrant" and "illegal alien," and they do so often to describe Latino undocumented immigrants. The SPJ diversity committee, which drafted and rewrote parts of the resolution, noted that the commonly used phrases are politically charged, offensive and bureaucratic.

It's also un-American to call another human being "illegal." SPJ noted that a fundamental principle in the U.S. Constitution is that everyone (including non-citizens) is considered innocent of any crime until proven guilty in a court of law. Because only a judge decides who is guilty, reporters can't blindly group a set of people as "illegal." Journalists know to be careful when writing about an alleged murderer. Editors take pains to ensure their publications or broadcasts don't cross that line of accusing a suspect of a crime before he or she has gone to trial and been convicted.

Why have so many in the journalism profession looked the other way when it comes to finding words to describe Latinos who might be here without the right documentation? Is it sloppy journalism, lazy assumptions or simple prejudice?

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists has spoken out against the increasing use of pejorative and inaccurate terms to describe the estimated 11 million undocumented people living in the United States.

The SPJ resolution calls for a continuous discussion and re-evaluation of the use of "illegal immigrant" in news stories. So how many times is it used in the media? This past week, a Google search shows that mainstream all-American newspapers and other news outlets used the term at least 11,000 times.

Granted, many of those references did pop up in opinion pieces from contributors who take pride in being rude and offensive, but a few straight news items show up as well. The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, a Gannett-owned paper in New York, has a story on its website this week with this headline: "Regents backing educational path to citizenship for illegal immigrant students." It reads as an objective news story, but the slurs stand out. In another example, an Associated Press story about a man charged with posing as a sheriff's deputy in Arkansas referred to the suspect as an "alleged illegal alien."

Alabama's draconian immigration law has led to many news stories throwing the "illegal immigrant" label around. AP stories appearing in many Alabama newspapers repeat the phrase in reporting how police can arrest anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant if they're stopped for any other reason.

If that's what the officials are saying, should the reporter reword it, put it in quotes or challenge the prejudice?

Editor's note: The JFP has a long-running policy against these pejoratives.