That Fox News is a media arm of the anti-choice movement was underscored earlier this month. On July 11th, three "news" pieces focused on charges, made by the radical anti-choice Operation Rescue, that a Maryland late term abortion provider has injured an abortion patient. In the reporting, Fox advanced the anti-choice meme that this doctor has already killed a patient in a late term "botched" abortion when, in reality, the woman died of a rare complication that also happens in childbirth. In February, Fox "news" guy, Bret Baier, exploited the tragedy in order to push the anti-choice assertion that the doctor is guilty of malfeasance and the clinic should be shut down. It's July and the clinic is still open. But in his desperation to get attention for his cause, radical, anti-choice domestic terrorist Rev. Patrick Mahoney is making the claim that the doctor has done another "botched abortion." Providing publicity for Mahoney's attack on the doctor is Fox News which is also using this case to push the anti-choice message that restrictive abortion laws are really all about helping women and. Fox "News," fair & balanced as always!
The Fox media blast began with official news program "Happening Now."Jenna Lee reported that there "are new calls for action against a controversial late term abortion doctor in Maryland." She described how "pro-life leaders" (Fox always uses "pro-life" - not "anti-abortion") have claimed that one of Dr. Leroy Carhart's patients was rushed to the hospital and they want Carhart's license suspended." As in any anti-choice argument, Gosnell was referenced. (He was convicted of murder during illegal abortions while Carhart is performing legal abortions).
She tossed to Doug McElway who said that "a lot of people are wondering why this guy has a license to practice medicine."(The "lot" being the anti-choice community). McElway claimed that the doctor is still being investigated but didn't mention that Maryland health officials did not find any deficiencies in the deceased woman's care. He played the Operation Rescue video which shows a woman being taken to the hospital (could have happened for a variety of reasons). It also features Mahoney ranting about how woman are not being protected by Maryland and demanding that Carhart's license should be suspended.
Lee then segued into the Texas abortion law and, predictably, McElway referenced how the debate got started with Gosnell. McElway did show a pro-choice legislator who, in speaking against the law, said that it would result in deaths from illegal abortions. Articulating an anti-choice talking point about about how women dying from legal abortions shows that legal abortion is unsafe, McElway provided numbers. (See ladies, abortion is dangerous) In response to McElway's data, Lee said "it puts it in perspective." (Uh, no it doesn't because the numbers are miniscule.)
Later, on America Live, Alisyn Camerota upped the propaganda ante. In reporting that there are "new calls" to have Dr. Carhart's license revoked, after one of his patients was rushed to the hospital, she said that this "comes five months after one of Dr. Carhart's patients died in a botched late term abortion." This is a LIE - according to the autopsy, the woman died because of "a rare condition in which amniotic fluid was pushed into her blood system." Doug McElway covered the same ground as he did in the first piece, including Mahoney's video rant and Gosnell reference. He concluded with the comment that those who are "pro-life" believe that Gosnell's practices are "not all that uncommon." (See ladies, abortion is dangerous!)
Finishing up the Fox "news" agitprop of the day, Bret Baier reported that "pro-life advocates in Maryland are up in arms about a local abortion provider and they want authorities to take action." Doug McElway went over the same ground as he did in the other two pieces, except for the admission that "Fox News has been unable to independently verify" the "authenticity" of the video and gruesome concluding commentary about how, in 2010, a woman had her bowels perforated in a late term Maryland abortion (See ladies, abortion is dangerous), a situation resulting in clinic standards that "both sides agree on." (These standards are not intended, as are the new "TRAP" laws to intentionally limit access to abortion without actually banning it.
So Fox attacks an abortion provider with an outright lie and uncorroborated video from a radical anti-choice group with an agenda. Forget "fair & balanced." How bout "real journalism?"