Making the News

“NASCAR riled by show seeking anti-Muslim bias
By Tim Lemke
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
April 6, 2006


NASCAR yesterday strongly objected to a planned series of news reports that targets race fans as potential sources of harassment of Muslim-Americans.
As part of a broad story about American attitudes toward Islam, NBC newsmagazine "Dateline" is placing Muslim and Arab-American volunteers in a variety of public places, including NASCAR races, and filming their experiences in an attempt to record discrimination or harassment.
"I think it's outrageous for a news organization of NBC's stature to go around and create news as opposed to reporting the news," NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said. "Every legitimate journalist should be offended by this."
Arab-Americans were stationed in the crowd at last week's NASCAR race in Martinsville, Va., and NBC is considering doing the same at Sunday's race in Fort Worth, Texas.
NBC officials said NASCAR races were only one place where Muslims would be placed. They also said their story was inspired by a recent poll that showed 46 percent of Americans hold a negative view of Islam, seven percentage points higher than in the months immediately after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
"?'Dateline' is looking into this story," the network's statement said. "It's very early on in our news-gathering process, but be assured we will be visiting a number of locations across the country and are confident that our reporting team is pursuing this story in a fair manner."
The network declined to comment further.
However, Laila Al-Qatami, a spokeswoman for the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee, said "Dateline" also plans to film at other sporting events, including football games, and will explore issues such as discrimination in housing and employment.
"They're going to place people in a lot of situations, whether it's an airport, a school, or buying a house," she said.
Miss Al-Qatami said her organization provided ideas to NBC but was not involved in the decision to place people at NASCAR events.
In the past decade, NASCAR has become the second-most popular sport in the United States behind the National Football League. It has expanded beyond its traditional stronghold of the Southeast to all regions of the country and, in recent years, also tried to shed its good ol' boy image.
Mr. Poston said the network likely chose NASCAR because of the sport's popularity”

“//troll font// so if nothing happens and the arabs are left alone, we're supposed to think because rednex are on their best behavior in front of a camera we're supposed to believe theyre actually tolerant?//troll font off//

seriously, it is stooping to the level of reality tv here. thats just sad
last edited: 4/07/06 4:58:35 AM”

“Something will happen. They have to get the news right! The actors will create a performance that guarantees the reaction they want and that will be edited to fit the story line.

News.”

“Yeah, they'll just use plants to cause trouble if the rednecks don't behave according to the media-stereotyped intolerant bubba. Pathetic.

The people who are causing problems are the ones acting out against people they perceive through stereotypes. And that would be the media in this case.”

“No bias here...
Just good reporting of the news...
Move along...move along....

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL”

“This is sad, but not all that surprising.”

“kNOw i SPIN ZONE.”