Jan – Feb 2022 Right Wing Media Report

January Summary:

During the January 1-31 monitoring period, there were more than 6 thousand negative immigration mentions across right-wing media outlets to an audience of over 10 billion people and over 86 thousand Twitter mentions. Two major spikes in media mentions occurred during this monitoring period:

• The first spike was related to two articles circulated widely by the GOP on Twitter around Jan. 18-19. The first article by The Daily Caller reported that undocumented migrants have been flying using arrest warrants as an alternate form of identification when presented at the airport. The second article, by Fox News, revealed that court documents showed the number of border encounters in December before their official release. Republicans framed this on Twitter as the Biden administration actively “refusing to release” the numbers to hide the “border crisis.”
• The next spike was the audience reach on Twitter on Jan. 25, when CBP data was officially released. The Washington Times reported 178,840 border encounters in December, which Republicans took to Twitter to highlight that there were nearly 2 million encounters in 2021.
• Another notable story published by Fox News, among other outlets, is regarding New York City’s new law that allows legal non-citizens to vote in local elections starting in 2023. However, Republicans framed it on Twitter as “illegal immigrants are being rewarded with the right to vote.”

• The top Facebook post came from Fox News, which quoted Trump speaking to supporters at a Save America Rally in Texas. This post garnered 42,000 emoticons and over 2,000 shares. Other tops posts focused on fentanyl entering the border and the possibility that Biden can face an impeachment inquiry based on the administration’s “failed approach” to the border.

February Summary:

During the February 1-28 tracking period, there were more than 4 thousand negative immigration mentions across right-wing media outlets to an audience of over 7 billion people and over 140 thousand Twitter mentions. Compared to January, there was a decrease in media mentions because of the shift in media coverage on the Ukrainian conflict. There was one significant peak and two other minor spikes in media mentions.

• The first peak occurred on Feb. 3, following Kamala Harris’s exclusive interview on Telemundo. During the interview, Harris discusses her root causes approach to immigration and Congress’s inability to pass immigration reform. Still, Fox News critiqued and blamed her for the “border crisis.” Republicans echoed this message on Twitter, claiming she is prioritizing “amnesty for illegal aliens.”
• The next spike in mentions developed around Feb. 10-11 for two reasons. First, a widespread Twitter campaign among GOP House members to push the connection between fentanyl and the border crisis. Second, conservative media spread misinformation via Twitter and other platforms that the Biden administration would hand out “crack pipes” as part of a $30 million public health grant package that stemmed from a Washington Free Bacon article.
• On Feb. 17, the Washington Examiner and others detailed that DHS reported 153,941 migrant encounters in January, which almost doubled Jan. ‘21 (78,414), contributing to the third spike. Republicans used this as an opportunity to push the border crisis narrative on Twitter.

• The top Facebook post is a Fox News article about Rep. Lauren Boebert’s plans to introduce legislation that would ban federally-funded legal aid for “illegal immigrants.” This post garnered 86,000 emoticons and over 6,000 shares, but it’s important to note that the reach can go further with Facebook users, so we don’t know the full magnitude.