Univision's news brand pretty much centers around the stridency of its immigration coverage these days. However, it is fascinating to watch the network try to hide its biases on other major issues, as evidenced by coverage of the Supreme Court's ruling in the Texas abortion case.
As previously noted, Univision's digital platform cheered the ruling in a heavily biased post that featured no differing viewpoints whatsoever. Readers got no indication whatsoever as to the specifics of HB2 and the protections that the law sought to provide. I was skeptical that the ruling could get more balanced coverage on TV, but I was wrong.
Anchor Jorge Ramos introduced the report filed from McAllen, Texas (home of the Whole Woman's Health in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt) in the most antiseptic manner possible, simply stating that the Supreme Court had just overturned a problematic Texas law that severely restricted a woman's right to an abortion and forced the closures of many clinics. What followed, shockingly, was the most fair and balanced report on abortion I've seen on Univision in a very long time- perhaps ever:
JUAN CARLOS GONZALEZ, UNIVISION CORRESPONDENT: Mrs. Salinas states that she will, as (she does on) every Tuesday, continue to go outside this clinic in order to pray, and discourage as many women as possible so that they do not undergo an abortion, and give a voice to those who can not defend themselves.
CECILIA SALINAS, TEXAS PRO-LIFE ACTIVIST: To place (this) in the hands of a pregnant woman about to enter a clinic has a very important effect.
JUAN CARLOS GONZALEZ, UNIVISION CORRESPONDENT: That is a small plastic doll which resembles a fetus in its 12th week of gestation.
Gonzalez upended Ramos' introduction to the report by going into specific detail regarding the provisions of HB2. The report featured both sides of the abortion debate, and included commentary from a pro-abortion reveler who was outside the Supreme Court as well as statements from Governor Greg Abbott and President Barack Obama.
It is important to note that the statements of Ms. Salinas, the pro-life activist featured in the video above, were simply allowed to stand on their own without any further editorializing. As I said the other day, the network's stridency on immigration is understandable given its business model but there was no such justification for institutional liberal advocacy of a position rejected by 50% of U.S. Hispanics. One imagines that support for life is higher among Univision's core viewership.
Perhaps Univision did the math, too.
