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The Annual Media Bias Against the March for Life, version 2006
various | 1/24/2006 | Pyro7480

Posted on 01/24/2006 7:58:07 AM PST by Pyro7480

It is well-known that the left-wing mainstream media slants its coverage of the annual March for Life. At least 100,000 people take part in the pro-life demonstration every year. However, the press accounts of the March always describes the crowd size in the "tens of thousands."

This year, two crowd size estimations are given in the article Protesters See Mood Shift Against 'Roe', by Michelle Boorstein of the Washington Post. It cites, "Stephen G. Peroutka, chairman of the National Pro-Life Action Center, one of the event's sponsors, estimated the crowd size at 225,000 to 250,000 people, while D.C. police gave an estimate of 70,000."

It is not possible that a mere 70,000 people attended the March. Over 20,000 young people attended the Catholic Youth Rally and Mass at the MCI Center. The organizers had to turn people away from the arena, since its capacity had been reached.

When the Mass concluded, the youth marched down Seventh Steet, NW. When they approached the rally site on the Mall, their size made it appear that the March was already underway. The size of the crowd at the rally by that point dwarfed the approaching youth. People were not only in front of the stage at the rally site, but were lined up for several blocks along the March route.

When the March started at about quarter of 2 in the afternoon, I ended up near the head of the line. When I reached the base of Capitol Hill, near the Canadian embassy on Constitution Avenue, I moved to the side of the street, and watched the crowd go by. It took more than an hour for the end of the line to reach my location. In order for this to happen, a crowd size of much greater than 70,000 would be necessary.

That evening, the local DC affiliates of ABC and CBS showed footage of the March. Most of it consisted of the "debate" between the pro-lifers and the pro-abortion in front of the Supreme Court. It gave the impression that equal numbers of the two sides came out, when it certainly wasn't the case.

There were more than a few pictures from the AP and Reuters on Yahoo! that showed the same "debate." Here are some examples.


An anti-abortion protester pumps his fist at Roe supporters in front of the Supreme Court in Washington January 23, 2006. Monday's rally, attended by tens of thousands, was held to mark the 33rd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion. REUTRERS/Kevin Lamarque


Supporters of Roe v. Wade shout down an anti-abortion protester in front of the Supreme Court in Washington January 23, 2006. Monday's 'March for Life' rally, attended by tens of thousands, was held to mark the 33rd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque


Abortion opponent Nick Schadler from Dubuque, Iowa, left, holds a rosary as pro-choice supporter Ash Roberts from Detroit, Mich., shouts as pro-choice and pro-life opponents face off in front of the Supreme Court in Washington Monday, Jan. 23, 2006. The rally was held to mark the 33rd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
(This photo appeared on the Express publication of the Washington Post, which is distributed free-of-charge around the DC area.)


Pro-choice supporters, left, argue with pro-life supporter Brad Luberda, far right, from St. Louis, Mo., during a pro-life march at the Supreme Court Building, Monday, Jan. 23, 2006 in Washington. The rally was held to mark the 33rd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
(The green shirts and signs demonstrate that the pro-abortion Left and the so-called "anti-war" Left are often the same people.)

Back to the crowd size issue, here are some photos of the March from AP:


Thousands of abortion opponents march up Constitution Avenue towards the Supreme Court in Washington Monday, Jan. 23, 2006. The rally was held to mark the 33rd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)


Thousands of abortion opponents march up Constitution Avenue towards the Supreme Court in Washington Monday, Jan. 23, 2006. The rally was held to mark the 33rd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
(This photo was most likely taken near the summit of Capitol Hill. This is the front of the line. Look at all the people behind them!.)

All of the above goes to show that the American people cannot rely on the mainstream media for balanced coverage of the March for Life.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: abortion; dc; marchforlife; marchforlife2006; marchlifemediabias; mediabias; mediabiasforlife; msm; newsblackout; prolife
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MSM media bias alert!
1 posted on 01/24/2006 7:58:10 AM PST by Pyro7480
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To: Siobhan; Canticle_of_Deborah; broadsword; NYer; Salvation; sandyeggo; american colleen; ...

Catholic and pro-life ping!


2 posted on 01/24/2006 7:58:52 AM PST by Pyro7480 (Sancte Joseph, terror daemonum, ora pro nobis!)
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To: Coleus

Ping!


3 posted on 01/24/2006 7:59:25 AM PST by Pyro7480 (Sancte Joseph, terror daemonum, ora pro nobis!)
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To: TPartyType; right-wingin_It; maica; jwalsh07

Ping!


4 posted on 01/24/2006 8:00:32 AM PST by Pyro7480 (Sancte Joseph, terror daemonum, ora pro nobis!)
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To: Pyro7480
Everybody in America is looking for a CAUSE.......something worthwhile to believe in and to fight for........and if they don't get one pretty soon, they'll go for just about anything that comes around on the guitar.

Which is a dangerous situation.

5 posted on 01/24/2006 8:09:39 AM PST by desertlily
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To: Pyro7480
Brad Luberda, far right, from St. Louis, Mo

Proud to see St Louis represented. And probably no shame in being labeled "far right"!

6 posted on 01/24/2006 8:13:02 AM PST by TravisBickle (The War on Terror: Win It There or Fight It Here)
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To: Pyro7480

The day the MSM reports the March for Life honestly is the day the sun rises in the west and sets in the east! Every year they try to make the March for Life out to be a small group while showing the pro-Moloch to be a vast number. We all know the MSM has their own anti-God anti-US agenda and will do anything to promote it. But look at all the pro-life people, its enough to make one believe that pro-Moloch is not the desire of the majority of Americans!


7 posted on 01/24/2006 8:16:54 AM PST by Convert from ECUSA (Not a nickel, not a dime, stop sending my tax money to Hamastine!)
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To: Pyro7480

Quite the contrast.

8 posted on 01/24/2006 8:29:23 AM PST by Carolina
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To: Pyro7480
That evening, the local DC affiliates of ABC and CBS showed footage of the March. Most of it consisted of the "debate" between the pro-lifers and the pro-abortion in front of the Supreme Court. It gave the impression that equal numbers of the two sides came out, when it certainly wasn't the case.

SOP for the media. I'm aware of media bias, but it never hit me as forcefully as when, after a march, we saw this kind of reportage on the national news. I wanted to spit.

9 posted on 01/24/2006 8:34:51 AM PST by Aquinasfan (Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mat 16:19)
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To: Pyro7480
It's amazing that the media cover this event at all. They give free publicity *in advance* for left-wing/culture of death events. The March for Life is covered as an afterthought, and always as part of the abortion "debate"--as if both sides marched in roughly equal numbers.

May God bless and protect all who turned out. For those of you who confronted the pro-"choice" moonbats, you have seen the face of pure evil.
10 posted on 01/24/2006 8:47:38 AM PST by Antoninus (The only reason you're alive today is because your parents were pro-life.)
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To: Antoninus

The MSM is now switching tactics on this. They had to this point denigrated the pro-life movement as out of the mainstream and smaller than the pro-choice forces. Now they are going to start the scare tactics should Roe be overturned. The pro-life movement's strength will be communicated more often, not to describe its popularity, but to scare the fence-sitters.


11 posted on 01/24/2006 8:53:52 AM PST by xcullen
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To: Carolina

"Abortion opponent Nick Schadler from Dubuque, Iowa, left, holds a rosary as pro-choice supporter Ash Roberts from Detroit, Mich., shouts as pro-choice and pro-life opponents face off in front of the Supreme Court in Washington Monday, Jan. 23, 2006. "

Think it shouls say; "Pro-Life supporter Nick Schadler from Dubuque, Iowa, left, holds a rosary as Pro-Death supporter Ash Roberts from Detroit, Mich., shouts as pro-death and pro-life opponents face off in front of the Supreme Court in Washington Monday, Jan. 23, 2006. "

Much better.


12 posted on 01/24/2006 10:46:44 AM PST by EQAndyBuzz ("We don't need POLITICIANS...we need STATESMEN.")
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To: Pyro7480

Even Matt Drudge ignored this newsworthy event.


13 posted on 01/24/2006 10:51:17 AM PST by Atlantian
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To: EQAndyBuzz
Pro-Death supporter Ash Roberts..

Rather appropriate name, Ash.

14 posted on 01/24/2006 10:57:16 AM PST by Carolina
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To: Pyro7480

Thanks for the ping!

Bump for the babies . . .


15 posted on 01/24/2006 11:13:41 AM PST by TPartyType
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To: Pyro7480

On January 21, 2006 Brian Rohrbough, father of slain Columbine
student Danny, addressed the annual Colorado Right to Life
March for Life.

Brian told the nearly 700 in attendance that a nation cannot
teach a generation that it is ok to kill innocent pre-born babies
in their mother's wombs and be surprised at a result like
Columbine.

Colorado Right to Life ran controversial radio ads by Brian
in the days running up to the MFL which can be heard
on the Colorado Right to Life web site.

In spite of the ad campaign, the size of the turn out
and the incredibly powerful message given by
a man who knows from experience the toll abortion
has taken on our nation's soul, there was a nearly
complete media black out of Brian's speech.

Denver media would not allow the strong truth
to be proclaimed that the state which began the
abortion holocaust on April 25 1967, has a lot for which to answer.

God help us!

Leslie Hanks
V.P. Colorado Right to Life


16 posted on 01/24/2006 1:27:47 PM PST by Lesforlife ("For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb . . ." Psalm 139:13)
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To: Pyro7480
Local news showed huge crowds for life and just a few people for death.
17 posted on 01/24/2006 4:23:35 PM PST by fatima
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To: Pyro7480

We get pitiful coverage from our side, can't expect anything better from the MSM.


18 posted on 01/24/2006 7:16:57 PM PST by jwalsh07
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To: 2ndMostConservativeBrdMember; afraidfortherepublic; Alas; al_c; american colleen; annalex; ...


19 posted on 01/24/2006 9:16:45 PM PST by Coleus (IMHO, The IVF procedure is immoral & kills many embryos/children and should be outlawed)
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To: Pyro7480
There may have been a pro-abortion counter protest somewhere else in DC, but for the entire length of our march I did not see any pro-abortion protestors. Only upon reaching the Supreme Court, did I then see a grand total of 3 pro-abortion protestors. But they were swarmed by so many pro-lifers though it was impossible to see their face or hear what they were saying. That "Keep abortion legal Sign" in the Reuters photo was the single only sign present in the entire march (at least from my perspective). I did not see any others. I'm glad that the media got a close up shot of each of the three protestors, so as to give a disproportionate weight to the pro-death side in their report.
20 posted on 01/24/2006 11:48:00 PM PST by right-wingin_It
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