AllSides often compares outlets across the political spectrum to make broad-based assertions on the relationship between political bias and media coverage. However, bias research focused entirely on the realm of English news media fails to account for the linguistic and cultural differences that contribute to biased coverage.
To evaluate how language may affect media coverage of immigration, AllSides collected articles throughout Hispanic Heritage Month from the English outlets Associated Press (Left bias), ABC News (Lean Left bias), Fox News (Right bias), and Newsmax (Right bias); and from the Spanish outlets La Opinion (Left bias), Univision (Left bias), Telemundo (Lean Left bias), El Universal (Left bias), and TV Azteca (Lean Right bias).
Key Findings
- Spanish outlets regularly addressed the name and background of the person involved in a select immigration story in headlines or near the top of articles – regardless of bias
- Outlets rated Left and Lean Left often mentioned migrant’s names and background within the article
- Outlets rated Right and Lean Right forewent any mention of names or background in headlines or in the article
Spanish-language Media Narratives on Immigration
Spanish news outlets generally reported on stories with an emphasis on the individual over the story, dedicating stories to the situations and conditions faced by specific immigrants, often with emotional undertones. Additionally, these outlets typically covered the impacts of ICE activity on migrant communities, including the fears and tangible losses migrant communities experience.
Univision (Left bias) covered stories on immigrants’ fears, contextualizing these fears within its articles. The outlet wrote, “‘Tenia Miedo’: hispanos logran ciudadanía en medio de incertidumbre migratoria” (“‘I was scared’: hispanics achieve citizenship amidst immigration uncertainty”), detailing the “miedo” (fears) that migrants may be facing during this presidential administration. The headline, “La ‘pesadilla’ de los deportados del gobierno de Trump sin antecedentes criminales” (“The ‘nightmare’ for migrants without criminal records during Trump’s administration”) uses ‘pesadilla’ (nightmare) to create a sensational story for migrants without criminal histories to worry about.
Moreover, the outlet covered the Trump administration through a negative lens, “Como el escándalo de Epstein también persigue a Trump en el Reino Unido” (“How the Epstein scandal followed Trump in the United Kingdom”) and through comparisons with widely controversial leaders across the globe, “Trump amenaza con revocar la licencia a los medios que hagan cobertura ‘negativa’ de él, como hicieron Putin y Orbán” (“Trump threatens to revoke media licenses for outlets that provide ‘negative’ coverage of him, similar to what Putin and Orban did”).
Telemundo (Lean Left bias) continued along Univision's coverage on the ‘harmful’ effects ICE has had on migrant communities – ranging from escalated deaths to enhanced fears. The outlet wrote “Las muertes de migrantes bajo custodia de ICE alcanzan su máximo en dos décadas” (“Migrant deaths under ICE custody reach a two-decade high”) and “Los agentes de ICE que mataron a tiros a un inmigrante en Chicago no llevaban cámaras corporales” (“ICE agents who shot and killed an immigrant in Chicago did not have body cameras”) emphasizing the rise of immigrant deaths and placing culpability on ICE. Moreover, the outlet wrote, “Las celebraciones por el Mes de la Herencia Hispana se ven empañadas por la mano dura en inmigración del Gobierno de Trump,” (“Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations are halted due to the Trump administration’s hard hand immigration policy”) noting that ICE activity has resulted in enhanced fears amongst migrant communities.
La Opinion (Left bias) followed through the general trend of Spanish outlets covering individual stories: “Inmigrante de 79 años entabla demanda millonaria contra ICE” (“A 79 year old immigrant files a multimillion dollar lawsuit against ICE”). Additionally, the outlet covered stories on the fears of ICE within immigrant communities with the headline “Temen que cientos de niños inmigrantes sean deportados por Trump” (“They fear that hundreds of immigrant kids are to be deported by Trump”).
Moreover, the article “Gobernador Newsom firma leyes para proteger a inmigrantes en California” (“Governor Newsom signs legislations to protect immigrants in California”) focused on the California mask ban for law enforcement and framed the legislation as a protection of immigrants. This is in direct contrast to conservative outlets like Newsmax (Right bias) which wrote, “DHS: Won't Comply with Newsom's 'Unconstitutional' Mask Ban” (“Departamento de Seguridad Nacional: No va cumplir con el prohibicion de maskaras ‘inconstitucional’) framing the legislation as illegal and harmful to ICE agents – in contrast to potential desirability due to the benefits for migrants.
El Universal (Left bias) continued with the established format of providing names and background for immigrants, before addressing the story they are associated with: “Lo que sabemos del caso de Silverio Villegas, mexicano asesinado en un operativo de ICE en Chicago” (“What we know about the Silverio Villegas case, the mexican murdered during an ICE operation in Chicago”). Additionally, the outlet dedicated a large portion of coverage on immigration stories to the ICE operations in Chicago including headlines addressing the potential excessive force ICE has used to regulate protestors: “ICE reprime con gas y balas de goma protesta frente a centro migratorio en Chicago” (“ICE suppresses protests at a migrant detention center in Chicago with gas and rubber bullets”) and “ICE niega uso de fuerza excesiva mientras amplía arrestos migratorios en Chicago” (“ICE denies use of excessive force as it carries out further immigration arrests in Chicago”).
TV Azteca (Lean Right bias) also followed along the trends established by Spanish outlets rated Left and Lean Left, indicating disapproval for the methods ICE has used to carry out President Donald Trump’s immigration policy. The article, “Redadas migratorias en EU separan familias; el caso de Febe, Ángelo e Isaac” (“Migrant raids in the US separate families: the case of Febe, Angelo, and Isaac”) focused entirely on how ICE raids have separated families, removing “niños de sus padres” (kids from their parents). The outlet continued their critiques over the current ICE operations with the sensational post, “¡Brutalidad del ICE! Anciano derribado y detenido por error en Los Ángeles: VIDEO” (“ICE Brutality! Elderly man toppled and detained in error in Los Angeles: VIDEO”), addressing a story on an elderly American citizen’s arrest by ICE which resulted in lesions and a lawsuit.
RELATED: Tracking Controversial Detainments and Deportations Under Trump
English-language Media Narratives on Immigration
Despite the differences in bias between outlets rated as Left or Lean Left and Right or Lean Right, both bias groups focused on reporting the incidents in which immigrants were involved, as opposed to the potential reasoning or background in outlet’s headlines. Left outlets typically reported on the migrant’s criminal and personal background within the article, while Right outlets generally avoided doing so anywhere in the articles published.
Moreover, Left outlets appeared more sympathetic towards immigrants, often reporting on cases of potential unfairness that immigrants face, while Right outlets criticized and framed the immigrants as criminals where applicable.
Associated Press (Left bias) generally took a reporting stance very similar to Spanish outlets, noting immigrants’ names and backgrounds near the top of the articles posted. The outlet also dedicated a significant portion of immigration coverage to individual migrants and how current immigration policy has affected their lives. Headlines included:
- “‘Inhumane’: Trump’s mass deportations ensnare noncriminal immigrants from all” (“Deportaciones de Trump entrampa immigrantes sin historial criminal: ‘Inhumano’”)
- “Without insurance, immigrant patients may face unregulated ‘medical deportation’ walks of life” (“Sin aseguranza medical, pacientes inmigrantes pueden confrontarse con ‘deportaciones medicales’”)
- “After rescinding protections, ICE is moving to deport more immigrants who were victims of crime” (“Despues de remover proteciones, ICE mueve a deportar mas inmigrantes, victimas de crimen”)
ABC News (Lean Left bias), much like Spanish outlets, reported more on individual cases of wrongful deportation and cases where the detained individuals were released:
- “ICE releases Oregon firefighter detained while protecting community from wildfire” (“ICE libera a bombero de Oregón, detenido mientras protegía a la comunidad de un incendio”)
- “US-born citizen sues after twice being arrested by immigration agents” (“Ciudadano estadounidense demanda tras ser arrestado dos veces por agentes de inmigracion”)
- “Recent DACA arrests raise alarm among legal advocates” (“Arrestos recientes relacionados con DACA alarman defensores legales”)
An important distinction to be made between ABC News and Spanish outlets, which also tend to report on individual cases, is the exclusion of person-first headlines. This distinction is pronounced throughout, despite the outlet providing background within the article itself – with one notable exception: “ICE officer fatally shoots man who resisted arrest, dragged agent with car” (“Agente de ICE dispara mortalmente al hombre que resistio el arrestó, y que arrastro al agente con su caro”). The outlet only mentioned the man’s name, not providing the context that Univision (Left bias) did, for example, on the methods ICE employed and didn’t employ that may have prevented the death of Silverio Villegas-Gonzales. Moreover, Univision led with the identity and background of the immigrant in the headline itself: “Era michoacano y cocinero, el inmigrante que murió baleado por agentes de ICE en Franklin Park” (“Immigrant who was shot to death by ICE agents in Franklin Park was a Michoacan chef”).
Fox News (Right bias) generally covered stories that framed immigrants as criminals or that framed the Trump administration favorably:
- “'Our people are dying': Rachel Morin's mom sounds alarm about illegal immigration after daughter's murder” (La mamá de Rachel Morin suena la alarma sobre el inmigracion ilegal, siguiendo el assesinato de su hija: ‘Nuestra gente se esta muriendo’”)
- “Tens of thousands of illegal immigrants with sexual assault, murder convictions in US: ICE data” (“Decenas de miles de inmigrantes illegales con condenas por asesinato y agresion sexual estan en EEUU; ICE informa”)
- “Americans favor Trump on immigration, support mass deportation of illegal immigrants, poll finds” (“Una encuesta encuentra que los Americanos favorecen a Trump sobre el inmigracion, apoyando deportaciones masivas de inmigrantes ilegales”)
RELATED: Shaping the Narrative – How Major Media Outlets Cover the Trump Administration
Newsmax (Right bias) followed along the coverage by Fox News, generally framing stories on immigrants with relation to crime while also echoing the Trump administration’s comments regarding the types of immigrants that enter the country. However, the outlet also framed immigration stories through criticisms of anti-ICE critics, expanding the scope of criticism from immigrants to immigrant sympathizers:
- “Second ICE Officer Injured During Migrant Arrest in Fla.” (“Segundo oficial de ICE herido durante un arresto migratorio en Florida”)
- “Protesters Chant 'Shoot ICE' in Suburban Chicago” (“Protestantes gritan ‘Dispara ICE’ en Chicago surbubano”)
- “ICE Deputy Director Sheahan to Newsmax: Anti-ICE Rhetoric Endangers Officers” (“Sheahan, Subdirectora de ICE, le deci a Newsmax: Retórica Anti-ICE pon en peligro officiales de ICE”)
- “ICE's 'Worst of the Worst' has Pedophiles, Drug Dealers” (“Lo 'peor de lo peor' del ICE incluye pedófilos y traficantes de drogas”)
It is worth noting that Newsmax referred to immigrants as aliens on several occasions in headlines or within the articles themselves: “ICE Arrests Illegal Driving Rig With N.Y. License for 'No Name Given',” (“ICE arresta un illegal manajando una camioneta con licensia deciendo ‘No se dio nombre’”) “DHS: Illegal Rams Into Border Patrol Car in Chicago,” (“DHS: Illegal choca con patrulla fronteriza en Chicago”) and “Illegal Alien Accused of Strangling Infant Sister With Phone Cord in Va.” (“Extranjero illegal es acusado de estrangular su hermana infante con cordon telefónico en Virginia”).This is in direct contrast to Spanish outlets which generally provided the names and provided information to detail immigrants as people, as opposed to aliens, word choice bias.
Does Language Affect Media Bias?
English outlets may not cater towards an immigrant audience when the demographic primarily consumes news in Spanish. This reality is further demonstrated by outlets rated Right and Lean Right which often labeled immigrants as “illegals” or “aliens.” One of several reasons could be due to these outlet’s reader demographics, which are less likely to align with those groups. Meanwhile, some conservative media outlets are expanding into the Spanish reader demographic, separate from their English reporting.
TV Azteca is a Spanish Lean Right outlet, and yet the outlet did not use the word “illegal” or “alien” throughout its coverage of immigration stories. Additionally, the outlet did not endorse the current ICE operations and followed through with the story choice bias and word choice bias that other Spanish outlets on the left used.
The differences between Spanish and English outlets were largely based on culture, not necessarily due to political bias. The cultural dimensions that lead to multilingual media bias demands further research to determine its significance when compared to the well-researched relationship between political bias and media coverage.
Content collection contributions by Andrew Weinzriel, Bias Research Manager & Data Journalist (Lean Left bias)
Emanuel Macuixtle is a Policy Analyst and Research Assistant at AllSides. He has a Left bias.
This blog was edited and reviewed by Henry A. Brechter, Editor-in-Chief (Center), Gabriel James, Content Intern (Center), and Malayna Bizier, News Analyst & Social Media Editor (Right).
