Well them not even knowing what their religion teaches would certainly make it plausible for them to act in direct contradiction to what their supposed beliefs are.

For a lot of christians it's however the dissociation of the "person in the news" from the rest of humanity. People in the news are often only seen as a prop within the story, not an actual living, shitting, eating, sexual human being with a biological ancestry. This phenomenon is obvious in celebrity news or how people react very harshly when they feel The Person In The News is bad. I think this dissociation hinders a lot of people of making the connection with their values of "loving, caring, compassionate" to The Person In The News.

So they don't see the contradiction between Mat 25:36-40

I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

and "Fortress Europe! Enforce our borders by any means necessary!"

Which is why representation of minorities is so crucial. It humanifies them to people who only read about them in the news.