Topic: CNSNews.com
CNSNews.com managing editor Michael W. Chapman shills for his boss in a Jan. 25 article:
The Alliance for Fair Coverage of Life Issues called on the news networks to cover this Friday's annual March for Life, which brings in hundreds of thousands of marchers, and to "cover it fairly" given the extensive coverage the media gave to the pro-abortion "Women's March on Washington" on Jan. 21.
"This Friday is a true test for the media," said Alliance member Brent Bozell, president of the Media Research Center. "They provided massive, and fawning coverage of the pro-abortion ‘Women’s March’ just four days ago. The media’s coverage of the ‘March for Life’ in two days, both in time and tone, will tell you everything you need to know about their support for abortion."
"With media’s trust in the basement, they will be exposed for the partisan hacks they are if they don’t give pro-lifers the same amount of coverage," said Bozell. "I’m not holding my breath.”
Of course, just because Bozell declares something to be a "news" event doesn't mean it is. The March for Life is not a newsworthy event fore merely existing; it has taken place for 40 years, and we're willing to bet that even Bozell can name a single newsworthy event to occur any any of them off the top of his head. As an annual event that unfolds predictably, the March for Life is not an equivalent news event to the Women's March, a large one-time gathering that turned out to be larger than President Trump's inauguration the day before.
So Bozell and his anti-abortion coalition is demanding that the media give the same coverage to the March of Life that it gave to the Women's March? That means CNS will have to conform as well.
And how did CNS cover the Women's March? Sparingly, and with a negative, dismissive tone:
- An op-ed by a Family Research Council writer sneering that the march lacked a purpose and "dumbs us down to one-dimensional human beings; it is the exact opposite of feminism."
- A complaint that march organizers "reversed its decision to grant a pro-life group partnerhip in the march."
- A blog post featuring how a "Christian satirical website" mocked "the march organizers’ outspoken support for abortion on demand."
- A stenographical "news" article by Susan Jones approvingly quoting Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway saying she "frankly didn't see the point" of the march.
- A "news" article that cherry-picked old quotes from march co-chair Linda Sarsour.
- A blog post by Chapman toutingapprovingly quoting anti-gay pastor E.W. Jackson denouncing the marchers as "on the godless side in this war" and allied with the "rulers of darkness."
In other words, CNS felt no need to engage in the "accurate" coverage of the Women's March its parent organization is demanding for the March for Life. Seems pretty hypocritical.
We've written CNS to ask if it intends to ciomply with Bozell's demand to give equal coverage. We'll let you know if they respond.
