Anyone who thinks of criticizing Univision’s Jorge Ramos for confronting Donald Trump on August 25, should know what Ramos experienced with Trump before the confrontation … should also understand why Ramos felt it was important for him, as one of the US Latino community’s most notable leaders, to get Trump’s immigration policy out in the open and on record … and should definitely understand the sorry state into which United States journalism has fallen in recent decades. Those who do, will appreciate Ramos for taking a stand in defense of real reporting and will applaud his bravery and service to the public.
The Washington Post describes Ramos as, “..the top news anchor at Univision and one of the country’s most recognizable Mexican-Americans.” Ramos also made Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list for 2015.
Before their public confrontation, Ramos tried several times to get an interview with Trump and even sent him a handwritten note requesting one. Instead of replying, Trump shared Ramos’ note and Ramos’ private cellphone number to his Instagram account. More details published by this ABC affiliate and on NPR.
The job of a journalist is to ask hard-hitting questions that the public needs to hear the answers to. NPR reports:
Ramos said that the use of force to “suppress freedom of expression” worried him. He also defended his aggressive approach at the press conference.
“My job as a journalist is to ask questions from the powerful, and that’s what we tried to do,” Ramos said, adding that he had on various previous occasions tried to set up an interview with the presidential candidate. (Trump posted a picture of a handwritten note from Ramos to his Instagram account. The note included Ramos’ phone number.)
In an interview with ABC, Ramos said that another responsibility of being a journalist is to “denounce” the “dangerous words and extreme behavior of Donald Trump.”
Ramos was asked what he would say to critics who say he is more of an advocate than a journalist.
“I think the best journalism happens when you take a stand, and when it comes to racism, discrimination, corruption, public life, dictatorship or human rights, as journalists, we are not only required but we are forced to take a stand, and clearly when Mr. Trump is talking about immigration in an extreme way, we have to confront him, and I think that’s what I did yesterday,” he said.
Salon’s Robert Mann openly voices his disgust with US News Media in an article entitled “The modern news conference is a scripted farce: Why Jorge Ramos’ badgering of Donald Trump was a necessary corrective”, in which he comments that reporters acted like “trained seals” at Trump’s press conference. He adds,
On Fox News, Jesse Watters of “The Five” observed, “Ramos acted like an illegal alien and got treated like one. He cut the line, was disruptive and then was deported and then Trump let him back in.” In a column, Fox’s Howard Kurtz complained, “Ramos broke in without being called on—and I’m sorry, that’s not some polite society rule, that’s basic civility when a presidential candidate is taking questions.”
“Sorry” is the right word, but only to describe the collective media behavior during and after the episode. It confirmed what many of us already know: American political journalism is a pitiful, cowardly shell of its former self.
Hispanic voters deserve to know what kind of a man, and a candidate, Donald Trump is. So, thank God for Jorge Ramos and his courage to stand up to Trump’s bullying and get the facts about this man out in the open. And thank you too, Univision, for supporting both Mr. Ramos and real journalism.
It’s also important to recognize that Trump is pissed off at Univision for canceling the first-ever Spanish Language simulcast of the Miss USA Pageant, and is suing the company for $500 million dollars.
The Spanish-language broadcaster announced in a statement on Thursday that it will not air the Miss USA telecast – partly owned by Trump – on July 12th because of the statements he made about Mexican immigrants during a speech on June 16 announcing his presidential run.
Additionally, the company announced that it will not work ‘on any other projects tied to the Trump Organization.’
The statement reads in part: ‘At Univision, we see first-hand the work ethic, love for family, strong religious values and the important role Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans have had and will continue to have in building the future of our country.’
…Trump opened his fledgling presidential campaign by condemning Mexican immigrants and what he decried as their ‘dangerous’ contribution to America.
When voting day comes around, I hope that all eligible voters will get to the polls and show Trump that might does not make right … and that plenty of Americans still believe in democracy, equality and respect. Check to make sure you’re registered to vote. Don’t forget that Vote by Mail is possible in some states too and is convenient if your schedule makes it difficult for you to get to your polling place.
In this particular instant, he was and intended to be a disrupter and lying about it won’t change the facts. Let’s not mix our politics with the facts. I would have done the same thing to someone doing that.