To the media, abortion is called choice. To the baby that is about to have its’ life ended, it is abortion, the act of killing a living human being. The media, mostly has no problem with a 13 year old killing a baby, but supports the Democrats when a 27 year old women wants “choice: for a school venue for their child. Try being supportive of babies and life, the Left, using the media will lie about you, call you an extremist and pretend you are the reason we have deficits and collapsing governments.
Oppose life and it is a story to be told on the six o’clock news. Support birth, and the media will make believe you do not exist—except to denounce you via one sided stories. Project Truth has supported the pro-life movement—yet the media pretends it does not exist.
“Both Larry Blount and another individual, Tallie Miller, interviewed by Ms. Hemphill, claimed to be concerned about the students’ exposure to and reactions to the literature handed out by Project Truth participants. Yet, Ms. Hemphill did not interview the students who received the literature to ask their opinion about the subject matter. Both interviewees also claim that the subject of abortion is a private matter that should only be discussed in the family setting. Yet, California high school students may be transported off school property to obtain an abortion without ever notifying a family member that the student left school or received the abortion. The door to this topic is already open. It is already a public question.
The story was titled “Getting Answers,” but if that was the intent, why didn’t Ms. Hemphill, attempt to interview the man in the cap? Where were the news cameras on March 18, 2014 when Project Truth was actually handing out literature to the Cordova High School students? Would it be too boring to show what actually happened? “
The Abortion Distortion: Demanding Truth in Reporting on Pro-Life Free Speech Efforts
Project Truth, Exclusive article for the California Political News and Views, 4/9/14
Journalists exercise great power to shape public opinion both in the stories they choose to cover and in how they relate those stories. That power can be a force for good, exposing social ills and corruption, acting as a check and balance to society. When a journalist exercises his or her pen in the cause of truth, good results. But when a journalist takes up the pen in the cause of lies and distortion, harm correspondingly results.
A small, peaceful, group of citizens exercising their rights to free speech recently became the target of this power of the press gone wrong. Project Truth is a pro-life activist ministry run by concerned citizens. The members of the group are dedicated to educating young adults about the truth of abortion through the use of educational displays, literature and conversation. They have been peacefully distributing informative literature to Sacramento and Placer area schools for more than 15 years. As part of their outreach, they stand on the public sidewalks outside of high schools and pass literature to students passing by.
This type of outreach is not always popular, and Project Truth has seen its share of persecution in the past. Telling the truth about abortion tends to attract enemies. But the opposition took a sinister turn on Friday, March 21, 2014 when KOVR News (CBS 13, Sacramento) ran a story that flagrantly misrepresented the Project’s methods.
The story, reported by Anjalie Hemphill, depicts a man wearing a black shirt, dark colored pants and a baseball hat purportedly putting a Project Truth leaflet on Larry Blount’s car in his driveway. Mr. Blount was understandably upset. But the man depicted in the video is not, and never was, a participant with Project Truth. The story goes on to report that the Project Truth team canvassed the neighborhood, putting fliers on vehicles in private driveways. It further suggests that the literature was found torn up and thrown on the ground all throughout the neighborhood. But Project Truth does not leaflet cars.
Both Larry Blount and another individual, Tallie Miller, interviewed by Ms. Hemphill, claimed to be concerned about the students’ exposure to and reactions to the literature handed out by Project Truth participants. Yet, Ms. Hemphill did not interview the students who received the literature to ask their opinion about the subject matter. Both interviewees also claim that the subject of abortion is a private matter that should only be discussed in the family setting. Yet, California high school students may be transported off school property to obtain an abortion without ever notifying a family member that the student left school or received the abortion. The door to this topic is already open. It is already a public question.
The story was titled “Getting Answers,” but if that was the intent, why didn’t Ms. Hemphill, attempt to interview the man in the cap? Where were the news cameras on March 18, 2014 when Project Truth was actually handing out literature to the Cordova High School students? Would it be too boring to show what actually happened? Project Truth did what they do all the time: they held signs and handed out literature on the public sidewalk in front of Cordova High School. They distributed literature directly to students who willingly accepted them when politely offered. Further, Project participants regularly pick up any discarded brochures. On the day in question, approximately 200 brochures were given to students and only two brochures were picked up from the ground.
Followed the online publication of the story, the public comment section began to see threats of violence and hate speech targeted toward Project Truth.
On April 3, 2014, Allison Aranda, senior staff counsel with Life Legal Defense Foundation sent a letter to KOVR News (CBS 13, Sacramento) demanding that the false, defamatory story be publically corrected. Life Legal Defense Foundation is representing Project Truth free of charge in this matter and seeks to obtain an apology from KOVR News. The letter also sought a follow-up story to correct the inaccuracies and falsehoods and a public denunciation of the violence and threats issued through the public comments to KOVR’s website.
While this is now a legal battle, and while the abortion distortion has been a reality for years, as Project Truth well knows, perhaps it is time to call for an end to this type of irresponsibility. Every citizen has a vested interest in true, accurate reporting and should demand nothing less from those who wield the power of the pen and of the press. KOVR needs to issue a public apology. Responsible reporting requires no less.
Allison Aranda, Senior Staff Counsel, Life Legal Defense Foundation
