NBC affiliate solicits donations for illegals

Reporter fails to mention 13 immigrants living in 4 rooms were 'undocumented'
Posted: December 4, 2006, 10:50 p.m. Eastern
By Bob Unruh

© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

The top-rated television station in West Palm Beach, Fla., is calling on viewers to put aside their ''political beliefs'' to help 13 illegal aliens trying to "survive the American Dream" after being displaced by a fire at the home they rent in the city.

Jamie Holmes, a reporter for the NBC affiliate, WPTV-TV, avoided referring to the members of the Bravo and Morales families as illegal aliens or undocumented immigrants in an original on-air report, instead describing them as ''the hard-working kind of people which created such a controversy in America this year ... .''

However, the written version of the story that later appeared on the station's website was altered to mention they were indeed illegal.

An assignment editor with the station, David Gould, was contacted by WND and asked how the station decides which stories to become advocates for, why the original report didn't note the families are illegals, should the station be soliciting on behalf of those who are breaking the law and how it is decided when reporters should admonish viewers as to how they should respond.

He said only News Director Peter Roghaar could respond to those questions, and, "He won't be in until Thursday." WND also was told the reporter was off on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the general manager, Brian Lawlor, was out of the office today. Messages left for Lawlor, his assistant and Roghaar weren't returned.