wfn.org | Media Violence Fast '09 focuses on anti-immigrant hate speech

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Media Violence Fast '09 focuses on anti-immigrant hate speech

> Written by Staff Reports
> October 16, 2009

Does violence in the media, particularly hate speech against
immigrants, impact levels of actual violence?

That's the question that a diverse coalition of faith groups will be
asking this week as part of the 2009 Media Violence Fast, a movement
now in its third year that signs up thousands of people from across
the nation to consciously abstain from violence on television and
radio, at least for one week. Join at www.MediaViolenceFast.org

This year's seven-day emphasis, October 19-26, is asking its
interfaith participants to consider the impact of anti-immigrant hate
speech in the media.

"We are asking people to seek other forms of programming and
intellectual stimulation, and to reflect on what it means to
purposefully distance oneself from violence as entertainment,
especially hate speech against immigrants that is being billed as
unbiased, 'fair and balanced' news," says the Rev. J. Bennett Guess,
executive director of the United Church of Christ's Office of
Communication, Inc.

The anti-violence fast is sponsored by the So We Might See Coalition,
a diverse interfaith group formed earlier this year with support from
the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, the Islamic Society of North
America, United Methodist Communications, United Church of Christ,
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
and several other faith groups.

During the week, participants will be signing a petition to the
Federal Communications Commission asking that it open a notice of
inquiry into hate speech in the media.

The coalition is also urging the National Telecommunications and
Information Agency (NTIA) to update its 1993 report, The Role of
Telecommunications in Hate Crimes.

"We are concerned about this issue because of the possible connection
between hate speech and violent hate crimes and the lack of
information for members of the public concerned about the issue," said
Guess, who is helping to staff the work of the Coalition.

Cheryl A. Leanza, a media attorney who serves as policy director with
the United Church of Christ's Office of Communications, Inc.,
emphasizes that the coalition does not support censorship, but is
advocating a study by the federal government to track the impact of
anti-immigrant speech on physical violence.

The coalition is expressing particular concern about the frequency and
tone of anti-immigrant remarks made by several TV and radio
commentators, such as Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Michael Savage and Lou Dobbs.

"Hate speech in the media is a growing problem that must be examined
before it can be solved," Leanza said. "The possible correlation
between hate speech and violence crime gives us great pause.
Immigrant, minority, and religious populations are often targets of
hate speech before they are subsequently the target of physical hate crimes."

According to the most recent FBI hate crimes statistics, while hate
crimes against all other groups has been holding steady or
attenuating, hate crimes against Hispanics have been increasing over
the last four years.

The So We Might See Coalition's decision to focus its third-annual
fast on anti-immigrant hate speech comes in support of the Latinos
Against Hate Speech campaign, organized by the National Hispanic Media
Coalition.

Learn more at www.MediaViolenceFast.org or www.SoWeMightSee.org