It’s become almost quaint with so many digital outlets making their own rules, but reporters used to use as their bible “The Associated Press Stylebook” when it came to looking up anything from addressing foreign dignitaries to abbreviating state names.
And there’s a new stylebook every year, and every year there are changes that reflect whatever’s currently politically correct. It was back in 2013 that the Associated Press officially dropped the term “illegal immigrant” from its stylebook, and it looks like news outlets are settling on undocumented immigrant or just plain immigrant in their coverage now.
CNN seems to have everyone on staff trained:
In his Oval Office address… Trump is painting undocumented immigrants as criminals. This has not changed since he launched his run for the White House.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 9, 2019
Yes, if you are in the country illegally and, say, shoot and kill a cop during a DUI stop, then yes, you are a criminal and an illegal alien.
Plenty noticed CNN’s careful use of “undocumented” Wednesday night in the story of an illegal immigrant who has taken sanctuary in a church during the government shutdown.
An undocumented immigrant in Colorado says he's taken shelter in a church because the government shutdown leaves him with no other choice https://t.co/OBat7YRecs pic.twitter.com/0g4mjq3iYH
— CNN (@CNN) January 10, 2019
Miguel Ramirez Valiente is facing a deportation order, but with the government shutdown, immigration courts are only hearing the cases of detained immigrants, so his lawyer says he has no way of fighting the order.
Ramirez has been in the U.S. for 14 years and has been fighting his immigration case since 2011. And yes, he’s an illegal immigrant.
Recommended
Undocumented = illegal. You typed in the wrong word.
— Island Time (@jvat24) January 10, 2019
Did he look under the sofa cushion for his documents? Did he lose them? Otherwise, that's an illegal alien criminal.
— Moondragon (@TrueloveWill) January 10, 2019
Mean illegal? I lived in Mexico 5 years, Americans without papers were illegal. Please explain.
— Gary Denny (@garywaynedenny) January 10, 2019
Illegal immigrant is the correct term. He is here ILLEGALLY if he wasn’t he wouldn’t have to worry about leaving
— Leprechaun (@Thump_252) January 10, 2019
He’s an ILLEGAL immigrant. Fact check that, CNN
— James Baxter (@JamesBa34175632) January 10, 2019
His choice was to come to USA ILLEGALLY get it?
— katwoman (@kk8591) January 10, 2019
He is an illegal immigrant! He should go home and do the work to become a US citizen!
— Carolyn Jackson (@carolyn16677630) January 10, 2019
He's an illegal. Put him on an airplane back home then.
— Teresa (@Queen_of_Gif) January 10, 2019
He has been here 14 years. Seriously CNN, he's not a victim of the shutdown.
— Carey ~ On (@Careyonsaloon) January 10, 2019
When the Federal goverment shutdown hurts illegal aliens and we report on it, you know we are living in a screwed up society.
— Atomicgroundhog (@atomicgroundhog) January 10, 2019
He’s had 14 years to get in line. 14!
— TruthN’at (@TruthN_at) January 10, 2019
Please put this into context CNN
— mike lowry (@LagentMiked) January 10, 2019
CNN knows context?
— tainky ??????? (@tainky131) January 10, 2019
Well at least he has a warm place to rest his illegal law breaking head while USA veterans and legal USA citizens still are homeless so good for him
— Michelle Adams (@Michell67072723) January 10, 2019
Send all the undocumented immigrants to Don Lemon and Jim Acosta’s houses. Let’s see them practice what they preach.
— Adam Rossini (@adam_rossini) January 10, 2019
@CNN will take care of you.
— MG (@4529mg) January 10, 2019
Send him to California
— Leki Tuifua (@TuifuaTevita) January 10, 2019
Have the illegal to stay with Pelosi.
— Mr T (@mrt224) January 10, 2019
Maybe he should go home?
— PhobicCarrot (@PhobicCarrot) January 10, 2019
There’s one other choice…
— Thach Weave ?️? (@thatchweave) January 10, 2019
There’s the “you can leave” choice.
— It's me DT (@dtfromdc) January 10, 2019
Didn't he have a choice to come here legally?
— Jon (@jshallack) January 10, 2019
Perhaps he should have chosen to not break our federal laws. That would have been a good start.
— Justin Johnson (@JTJohnson1982) January 10, 2019
Our government should have nothing to do with where he lives…. send him back with the paperwork to become a citizen like anyone else has to.
— TheWeenknd (@aWelter23) January 10, 2019
He doesn’t have to go home. He just can’t stay here. He’s been playing our system for years
— Joey Saltwater (@drinkingInc) January 10, 2019
He's been in the county for 14 years. He's literally had 14 years to pursue citizenship and has instead spent the last 8 years just fighting deportation.
— d$ (@davedollar) January 10, 2019
It’s sad, it really is and I feel for the man and his family. That said coming here illegally isn’t the answer. Cutting the line of people who did it the right way is wrong.
— jdNelson (@jdNelson13) January 10, 2019
This is sad, but it’s one story. There’s more than one story of illegal aliens killing American citizens, but you’ll never see that on CNN. ?
— Tim M (@murphdaug) January 10, 2019
Well, you can talk about the murder of American citizens by illegal aliens on CNN, but Ana Navarro will just file her nails and roll her eyes while you do it.
Related:
CNN’s Jim Acosta seems upset that Trump called people in the US illegally who commit crimes criminals https://t.co/2D1SZWSVuE
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) January 9, 2019
Join the conversation as a VIP Member