Demand Media Stop "Talking Right" About a Woman's Right to Choose
Under far-right leadership, the "pro-life" lobby was able to manipulate Congress and the Courts. As a result, legislation and court cases around the country are threatening women's health and reproductive freedoms, and creating an atmosphere that villanizes and shames women who support the right to choose.
Unfortunately, mainstream media, who supposedly provide us with "fair and balanced" perspectives, haven't been there to defend us. In fact, journalists and pundits have actually adopted the very language that far right strategists invented for talking about women's medical procedures.
Take the term "partial-birth abortion." It is "not medical terminology" according to the American Medical Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and many other leading legal and medical associations. Yet, the media continues to use this phrase and others as legitimate medical terms, making right-wing rhetoric seem like factual language in the minds of citizens.
Americans have said "no" to extremism by electing a new set of middle-road leaders into Congress. It's time for media to reflect the sentiments of the people.
Sign the petition to calling on news executives and journalists to stop "talking right" about a woman's right to choose in their reporting!
Dear News Executive,
When social conservatives increased their influence in government, we saw an increase in mainstream media's use of right-wing rhetoric, especially in their reporting on women's reproductive health procedures.
Take the term "partial-birth abortion." This was a phrase constructed by conservative strategists, and according to the American Medical Association, it has no basis in medical terminology. Yet it is used regularly by mainstream media as though it were a medical procedure.
Americans rely on the media to provide facts and label value judgments as such. Whats more, Americans said no to extreme rhetoric when they voted a new set of middle-of-the-road leaders into Congress.
Given these considerations, I ask you to use less ideology and more facts in your future reporting on the issue of abortion.
Sincerely,
