Katie Yoder's blog

Babies aren’t the only victims of abortion; women are too. While last week all three networks begrudgingly covered babies slaughtered in Kermit Gosnell’s Philadelphia abortion clinic after failed abortions, they continued to censor other stories about the dangers of abortion to women.

During a “Stop the Killing" Maryland rally on May 20, Live Action President Lila Rose outlined the media’s take on women affected by abortion to MRC’s Culture and Media Institute: “There’s absolutely been a media cover-up of the violence that abortion not only does to the baby but to the mother.” Rose continued to say, “If the media wants to be fair and balanced and report the truth they need to be reporting stories that affect women in a very personal intimate way, with our lives at stake.” (Video Below)

“In Philadelphia today,” anchor Scott Pelley said on the May 13 CBS “Evening News,” there was a verdict in a murder trial that got national attention.” He was talking about the murder trial of Kermit Gosnell, and whatever “national attention” it received was given grudgingly by the media – including Pelley’s own network. 

In fact, it took 56 days, multiple letters from members of the House of Representatives and a public demand from conservative groups, before all three broadcast networks reported on Gosnell.

MRC Vice President for Business and Culture Dan Gainor appeared on Fox Business to argue that the media’s lack of Benghazi coverage was for protection of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama.            

After Charles Payne, Fox Business Network Contributor and co-host of “Varney & Co,” noted that the media appeared to either brush off Benghazi coverage or defend the administration, Gainor responded that the media “care most about protecting Hillary Clinton as well as protecting Barack Obama” on May 9.

During a Fox News Benghazi report, MRC Vice President for Business and Culture Dan Gainor argued that the media covered-up Benghazi news out of adoration for Hillary Clinton.

Speaking with Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly on May 9, Gainor argued that the media have “been doing this throughout, this is sort of continuation of their policy to minimize a scandal that makes Hillary Clinton look really bad.” He continued to say, “The why is, she’s running for election in 2016, and the media have always loved Hillary.”

Perhaps it’s to be expected from the website that had a divorce section before it had one on marriage. The Huffington Post, that repository of Hollywood morality, is cheering on a new show called, “Mistresses.”

Huff Post Live hosted a chat on the series called “ Glorifying Mistresses.” Sarah Symonds from the U.K., a former mistress and founder of Mistresses Anonymous Foundation, began the discussion by applauding a “long overdue” series. “I think its brilliant timing,” she said. “I find it very astonishing it hasn’t happened before because in the States, you’ve got shows about everything from fat kids called Honey Boo Boo to how to take drugs, teen mums, you know, it’s time to talk about something so real.”

Live Action, a "new media movement dedicated to ending abortion and building a culture of life," hosted a "Stop the Killing" infanticide protest in front of abortionist Cesare Santangelo’s clinic in Washington, D.C. on May 1, 2013.

At the protest, MRC’s Culture and Media Institute asked speakers about the media's coverage of infanticide, especially in connection with the Kermit Gosnell case – watch their answers below.

The networks continue to censor the horrors revealed in abortionist doctor Kermit Gosnell’s trial, but some members of the House of Representatives haven’t kept silent – and they cited the Media Research Center.

On April 11, Representative Chris Smith, R-NJ, demanded accountability from the national media. He began his speech on the floor, asking, “Mr. Speaker, will the decades-long major national news media cover-up of the brutality –and violence – of abortion methods ever end?” Rep. Smith called media reticence an “indefensible silence” that threatens “other women and children at other abortion mills [who] might be at risk.”

Alfred Hitchcock’s film masterpieces thrilled audiences with imagination and suspense, but if Hitchcock focused the cameras instead on graphic violence and rape, “Psycho” might resemble today’s “Bates Motel” series. And throw in some implied incest just because it’s TV.

The A&E show provided a modern-day prequel to Hitchcock’s horror film, “Psycho.” The “Bates Motel” series illuminated the twisted relationship between 17-year-old Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) and his mother Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga), which later transformed Norman into the infamous “Psycho” killer.

CPAC is turning mainstream – at least in movie screenings. Last Friday, the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) hosted a showing of “Olympus Has Fallen,” set for release to theaters March 22.

The film starred such big names as Morgan Freeman, Gerard Butler, Ashley Judd, and Aaron Eckhart – which may come as a surprise, for the conservative audience. After all, Freeman is a very public Obama supporter and Judd considered challenging Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky, as a Democrat in the 2014 Kentucky elections. 

It’s the international question as the conclave begins: who will be named the next Catholic pope. Among the 115 cardinals, prominent candidates stand out, from Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet to Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson. Oh, and then there’s the left-wing filmmaker Michael Moore.

As the conclave launched, Moore couldn’t help but nominate himself for the papacy, and ranted via twitter, “Dear Conclave: I'm available. Will wear white. Can say Mass-with magic tricks-in under 20min.The Italians killed Jesus. Will walk on L. Erie.” 

According to CNN, surrogacy deserves a fairytale ending. But when a surrogate mother refused to abort her baby against prospective parents’ wishes, the story transitioned into a “nightmare.” 

A Connecticut couple offered their baby's surrogate mother, Crystal Kelley, $10,000 for an abortion when they discovered via an ultrasound that the baby suffered from disabilities such as a cleft lip and heart defects. Kelley refused their proposal despite legal pressure, and fled to Michigan where state law recognized her as the baby’s guardian. 



The final count is in. From the day of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation announcement to the day of his retirement, the networks unabashedly attacked the pope and the Catholic Church, adding to a pope resignation coverage tally of referencing the church as troubled 157 times and using the world “scandal” 105 times in 118 reports. 

A previous Culture and Media Institute tally noted the frequency ABC, CBS, and NBC referred to the church as troubled, aired the word “scandal,” and ran late night comedy show clips cracking pope jokes. Pressing for church modernization and calling for a change in regards to women and gays also made the list.

Although the first pope to resign in 600 years, Pope Benedict XVI might as well be dead to the media as cardinals elect a new pope. On the day of the Roman Catholic pope’s resignation, February 28, ABC’s “Good Morning America” offered repulsive input and likened the monumental event to Pope Benedict XVI participating in his own funeral.

A voiceover described how Pope Benedict XVI bade farewell to cardinals in the very room popes lie after death, the Clementine Hall at the Apostolic Palace, before reporting: “Unlike all the past popes whose reigns have ended in this room since the palace was built and the walls covered in frescos, Benedict is the first to leave office still breathing – like a king, attending his own funeral.” [Video below.]

A frail, ailing 85-year-old man announces he doesn’t have the strength to continue as the spiritual leader of 1.2 billion people. With the humility of one whose entire life has been in service to God and his Church, he says he will retire to quietly live out his remaining years.

Cue the laugh track and gin up the scandal rumors. It was three weeks full of journalistic contempt for the Pope and the Catholic Church.

If a completed picture is worth a thousand words, how much does a one-sided movie cost? The Israeli films “5 Broken Cameras” and “The Gatekeepers” earned two of the five 2013 Oscar nominations for documentary films.

Although ten Israeli films have received nominations in the past, these two are different: they focus the spotlight on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict from a distinctly anti-Israel perspective.

Sundance glorified adultery, porn, and sex with minors during the 2013 Sundance Festival, but now another topic received excruciating recognition: death.

Two weeks ago, Jennifer Leigh Morbelli died at the hands of LeRoy Carhart, one of the four remaining United States “doctors” who performs third-trimester abortions. Morbelli sought a 33-week abortion in Germantown, Md., after learning her baby suffered from a medical condition. Morbelli passed away “… due to immense blood loss and hemorrhagic shock” after being revived several times by a medical team, according to the Catholic News Agency. Carhart was “nowhere to be found” when hospital staff and Morbelli’s family tried to reach him for assistance, the story reported.

When you are a prominent Hollywood actor – plus an outspoken liberal – you can get away with “murder.” Two days ago, actor Alec Baldwin, who is famous for both his outspoken liberal views and his ugly run-ins with reporters (and flight attendants), found himself in another scuffle with two New York Post reporters. 

Baldwin supposedly grabbed the Post’s Tara Palmeri by the arm and threatened, "I want to choke you to death" when she questioned him on a lawsuit filed against his wife. Baldwin then verbally attacked the Post's photographer, G. N. Miller, a black retired NYPD detective, and with names such as "coon," "crackhead," and "drug dealer."

Talk about a media machine. Pope Benedict XVI announces his retirement and the press devour the information only to toss out stories dripping with Nazis connotations, sex abuse scandals, female hatred, and gay marriage. Oh wait, scratch that last one, because, according to Buzzfeed’s Matt Stopera, the pope is gay.

Stopera quoted “the great” Honey Boo Boo, the 6-year-old reality TV star turned modern day philosopher, to prove the pope’s “gayness:” ‘Ain't nothin' wrong with being a little gay!’

What does Pope Benedict XVI’s retirement mean to the media? Pushing for a liberal pontiff – according to HLN’s Kyra Phillips.

Phillips interviewed Anthea Butler, Graduate Chair in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, on the topic during HLN’s “Raising America,” which airs daily to “look at the news the way parents do.”

Last night, Joy Behar showed her “concern” over Fox News’ firing of commentator Dick Morris.

“Okay, Fox News has gotten rid of Dick Morris … but don’t worry, there’s no shortage of dicks at Fox,” Behar crudely remarked during her show “Joy Behar: Say Anything!” on Feb. 7. Her show airs on Current TV. Behar continued her Fox News Channel bashing by citing Fox’s loss in prime time ratings before noting how Fox “dumped” Morris and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. 

It was huge news. A map targeting those with opposing viewpoints led to a tragic attack. Partisan rhetoric was out of control and fringe-types were being driven to gun commit gun crimes. Except that, in the case of the Gabby Giffords shooting two years ago, none of those things were even remotely true. But that didn’t stop the media from breathlessly conjecturing that a target-festooned map on Sarah Palin’s website had pointed Jared Loughner to Rep. Giffords, and that Palin’s “reload” rhetoric made him shoot.

But now we have a case in which a politically motivated shooter has confessed to choosing his targets according to a map. In fact, it was a “hate map” created by the left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). But ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN aren’t talking.