It's been quite a media week for the pro-life message, which is the consummate expression of personal responsibility.
The Washington Post on November 6th gave Page One treatment to the story of a
Aside from the insidious headline, “Teen Wins Fight for Antiabortion Club at School,” The Washington Post story was straight-up reporting of the efforts of 16-year old Stephanie Hoffmeier to get a Pro-Life Club into her Stafford,
Vargas reported fairly, “Even some advocates of strict separation of church and state say religious speech by students at public school is protected under the Constitution and federal law. Why Vargas also felt compelled to comment on the teen's two-toned hair color, “affinity” for black fingernail polish, and “Hard Core Jesus Freak” stickers are a mystery. Maybe that was a way of busting the Post's readership's stereotypes of what a Christian teen looks like.
Though she used the AP Stylebook approved terminology “antiabortion” to describe the club's views, Vargas couldn't change the name of the club in her story. She reported the attendance of the Pro-Life Club's first meeting and closed the story with a positive quote from Hoffmeier, who stated that she was just the one who “took action,” but that there were “many, many others” interested in the club.
On World News, John Mackenzie reported on a medical breakthrough that is taking abortion off the list of choices for some pregnant women with breast cancer.
MACKENZIE: Seven months ago, Linda Sanchez got the best of news and the worst of news. She was told she was pregnant with her first child. Within days, this 26-year-old was also told she had breast cancer. … A doctor presented Linda with an excruciating choice. Delay treatment and possibly lose her life. Start chemotherapy and risk severe birth defects to her baby.
SANCHEZ: My doctor basically said it was me or the baby.
MACKENZIE: The message was clear. Linda should have an abortion. The same advice many other women in this situation receive. But pioneering research here at the
Mackenzie's story proceeded to detail the specialized treatment that several women have undergone with no ill effects for their children. Footage in the story also included ultrasound images of Sanchez's unborn baby and her exquisite reaction to seeing them. Powerful pro-life images like these rarely make it into the nightly news.
These two news stories were like life-affirming icing on the cake after Bella's continued box office success this past weekend. As noted in two previous columns (Bella to Anti-War Movies: Show Me the Money! and Bella and the Pro-Life Film Trend), the small-budget, independent film is making major inroads in
Producers were hoping for a strong showing in Bella's second week, which could determine whether the movie's distributor puts the movie in wide release.
Kristen Fyfe is senior writer at the Culture and Media Institute, a division of the
