One piece of PBS’s coverage of the last night of the Democratic National Convention unwittingly confirmed media labeling bias on PBS and other “mainstream “outlets.
First, Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart hailed the Democrat’s vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz for using the supposedly less frightening and more convincing term “gun safety legislation” instead of “gun violence laws” (a term the PBS News Hour also uses). Anchor Geoff Bennett expanded that "language" argument to encompass abortion.
Anchor Geoff Bennett, 9:50 p.m. (ET): We have seen Democrats do that on abortion, talking less about abortion rights and more about reproductive freedom. To what degree does the language matter, Amy [Walter]?
Hmm. Who else talks like Democrats by saying “reproductive” rights instead of “abortion”? PBS anchors and reporters! Amusingly, there were couple of incidents on the very same Night Four of the convention, both before Bennett talked about how language mattered, and afterward:
Anchor Geoff Bennett, 8:14 p.m. (ET): Let's talk campaign strategy for a second. Because before you were a senator you were president of Emily’s List, which is an advocacy group that supports Democratic women for office who support reproductive rights. Montana out this past week became the eighth state to put on the ballot come November a ballot measure that will enshrine reproductive rights.
And then afterward:
Anchor Geoff Bennett, 11:19 p.m. (ET): I gotta say, as convention speeches go, I don’t think I’ve ever heard such an extensive discussion of reproductive rights as what we heard earlier tonight.
You can also easily find the admittedly Democratic-friendly term “reproductive rights” spoken by journalists during segments on the tax-funded PBS News Hour:
Judy Woodruff, talking to Republican and Democratic delegates, August 23: Like many of the conversations happening across the country, ours eventually turned to some of the most divisive issues of the day, from immigration to reproductive rights.
Barron-Lopez in Chicago, August 18: But the black women that I spoke to are credibly excited, and they feel as though that the country is ready to elect its first black woman and South Asian president. So they`re hoping that that what they`re feeling is something that a lot of other women are feeling across the country. And a lot of them name issues like reproductive rights and health care and abortion for why they`re excited about Harris.
Reporter Laura Barron-Lopez in Atlanta, August 5: For Maya Eady McCarthy, a doctor who herself experienced pregnancy complications in 2020, the vice president's outspoken advocacy for reproductive rights since the fall of Roe v. Wade stands out.
Anchor Geoff Bennett to reporter Laura Barron-Lopez in Atlanta, July 30: So, Laura, the vice president's speech tonight, as I understand it, is expected to have a sharp focus on reproductive rights. How important of an issue is that for the voters with whom you spoke earlier?
Anchor Amna Nawaz, May 13: Since the fall of Roe v. Wade, Republicans have banned abortion in 14 states and restricted it in more. But, when given the chance, voters have overwhelmingly supported ballot initiatives to protect access to the procedure. This election year, abortion will again be a defining issue. Laura Barron-Lopez reports from the battleground of Michigan, where Democrats plan to keep reproductive health care front and center.
FYI: For the above report, reporter Barron-Lopez spoke to another euphemistic organization, Shanay Watson-Whittaker of Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America -- as in the National Abortion Rights Action League).
Anchors and reporters also used the term “abortion” often in most of the above reports. But saying the catch-all term “reproductive rights” as a clear euphemism for the more blunt, possibly less popular term abortion was telling.
These segments echoing liberal euphemisms on abortion were brought to you in part by Raymond James Financial Advisors, and taxpayers like you.
