Topic: CNSNews.com
Penny Starr follows up her misleading, unbalanced attack on a teen-targeted Planned Parenthood website in a Feb. 28 article stating: "After reviewing materials posted on Planned Parenthood's teenwire.com Web site at the request of Cybercast News Service, three House Republicans are calling for the termination of Planned Parenthood's federal funding."
Nowhere does Starr state the qualifications, if any, the three congressmen in question -- Doug Lambourn (CO), Steve King (IA) and Joseph Pitts (PA) -- have for passing judgment on sexual education material for adolescents. Nor does Starr include any viewpoints in response to the congressmen's claims, or indicate that she spoke to any Democratic members of Congress. There's also no note that she tried to contact Planned Parenthood for a response, furthering the sham balance nature of Starr's attack on the group.
Among the "content from the site" reviewed by the congressmen, Starr wrote, were "graphic illustrations from 'Behind the Fig Leaf,' a slide show depicting the differing 'styles' of male and female genitalia." No explanation is offered as to why such a presentation -- Starr makes no claim that it's inaccurate or misleading -- should be considered offensive or, in King's words, "advocating promiscuity" and "damaging American culture."
