Network news 'against Terri'

Study by media watchdog group shows TV coverage slanting toward pro-death

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Posted: March 26, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern



© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com


A study by a media watchdog group indicates television stories of the life-and-death battle of Terri Schiavo are slanted against the brain-injured woman.

The Media Research Center found the three broadcast network evening newscasts "have tilted their recent coverage of the Terri Schiavo case in ways that bolster her husband Michael's arguments that the severely disabled woman is in an irreversible vegetative state and had clearly expressed a desire to die."


It says network reporters "have attempted to debunk arguments made by her parents – namely that some doctors believe she could be helped and that Mrs. Schiavo, a Catholic, would not want her feeding tube disconnected."

MRC examined 31 evening newscasts from Thursday, March 17, the day before her feeding tube was removed, through Monday, March 21.

A majority of soundbites, 59 percent, repudiated Congress for acting to permit Terri's parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, to bring their case to federal courts.

Nearly all of the supportive comments came from members of Congress such as Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas; but condemnations came not only from husband Michael Schiavo and Democrats, but from reporters themselves.

"Whatever your beliefs," ABC's Jake Tapper commented on Friday, "Terri Schiavo and her family deserved better than the way Congress worked this week."

Tapper also rejected the value of videotapes showing Terri Schiavo apparently responding: "In some ways, these tapes are like psychological inkblot tests. You see in them what you want."

On Monday's CBS Evening News, reporter Elizabeth Kaledin argued that "this is exactly the kind of scenario doctors are worried about. It's sad enough that this case had to play out in the courts, but to get politics involved now, I think they would say, is just bad medicine."

ABC's Peter Jennings dismissed one of the Schindlers' worries: "They also say that she will die a painful death, though there does not seem to be any support for that argument in the medical community."

NBC showed Dr. Robert Cranford, who has examined Mrs. Schiavo, saying in spite of how she appears on videotape, "she's as unconscious as someone who is dead."

The MRC notes "none of the broadcast network stories showed even one dissenting expert. But [Fox News Channel's] Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes on Monday interviewed Dr. William Hammesfahr, a neurologist who spent 10 hours observing Terri Schiavo. Hammesfahr said she is "completely aware and conscious and responsive ... like a child with cerebral palsy."

The study also shows 60 percent of soundbites, including reporter comments, "presented Michael Schiavo's case that Terry Schiavo should die, compared with just 40 percent offering the counter-arguments of her parents. Not a single story was devoted to a skeptical look at Schiavo and whether he was acting in his wife's best interests, but all three networks ran stories rejecting [Terri's parents'] view that their daughter could possibly be helped."

Link: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/artic ... E_ID=43494


Catherine


Is this a valid piece of information? Comments?

Well, let's see now.

She has been like this for 15 years yet DeLay said, what's the hurry--give it a chance.

Parts of her brain have liquefied but she is said to have indicated she wanted to live. When asked to repeat, "I want to live" she supposedly uttered 'Ah wa'. Is that 'ah wa' to live or 'ah wa' to go to the Lord? Or was it just 'ah wa'?

The pictures of Terri 'responding' were taken many years ago, and they show what people who deal with things like this say are random movements and sounds. We see them over and over again as if showing them is going to bring some kind of life back to Terri.

She was tested for reaction to pain and showed no indication she felt anything.

I believe many people are seeing this and saying--I never want to live like this. Please do not take what shreds of dignity I still have away from me for a political circus. Do not do this to me, to my family, to any of my loved ones or friends.

I believe this heavy handed intrusion by the fundies is a glimpse of just how much they want to control everyone's life.

This media source is so fundamental it's scary. Look at their website and read more about Terri Shiave's "responses," and her parents' attempts to make it sound so pitiful.

The parents are loving all of this attention. As one of my friends said, "You can see it oozing out of their pores."

They're sitting themselves up to write a book about Terri and how horrible Michael Shiavo is.

Catherine

Catherine,

The media and these so-called TV journalists are very scary. I caught the Today show the other day as they were talking about the Terri Schiavo story. Anne Curry can't stop from emoting when she talked about this story.
She put on a very painful, sad expression and said that Terri Schiavo was dying a very slow and painful death. I was astounded because she gave this statement without any back-up to it. There weren't any specialists on the show or any doctor's of Terri's. Anne Curry just made this statement and you know millions of Americans were watching her and probably taking what she said as fact. Then Matt Lauer interviewed Michael Schiavo's brother and made sure to bring up the issue about the insurance money that Michael will receive when Terri dies.
I don't consider Matt Lauer or Anne Curry journalists at all..they are TV personalities in my book, but I was still furious after I watched how they covered this story. They did not hide how they felt about the case and it colored the way they covered the story.

I have one comment about Terri's parents. I believe that they love their daughter, but they don't seem to understand by keeping her alive all of these years, they have lived under false hope.
Also, have you noticed that they have not released any recent video of Terri. It's been noted that the video's that we have been seeing in the media are about 2 years old. It doesn't take much to figure out why they haven't released a recent video.

-Eva

Eva, I stopped viewing the Today about a year ago after I watched Matt Lauer being incredibly rude to Michael Moore about Farenheit 9/11. (I believe there's a post I made about it right after I joined TVNL.)

Katie Couric ceased to be cute and perky long ago, too. In my opinion, Anne Curry needs something to help her get her emotions under control OR she's the poster child for tear-jerking emotional broadcasting.

I watched her once report about a situation in Kosovo involving the Albanian refugees, which was admittedly horrific. But Curry looked worse than some of the Albanians, particularly with her hair that made her look like she'd just gotten out of bed and her wild-eyed stare as she connected with the camera and deplored the conditions of these poor people.

Has she reported anything like that and in that way about the Iraqi refugees from, say....Fallujah?

I'm sure the Shaivos love their daughter. But because I think they know there's not much hope of anything being done at this late juncture, they're going to try to get financial compensation one way or the other. Michael Shiavo allegedly refused to share a million dollar settlement with them, so perhaps they feel entitled to whatever they can get for pain and suffering in whatever way they can get it.

Catherine

Your comments about the entertainment reporters on "Today" and other reprehensible pseudo-news shows like them are right on the money, and evokes a song written by Frank Zappa from his album "Overnight Sensation" in 1973. It is titled "I'm The Slime", here are the lyrics:

I am gross and perverted
I'm obsessed and deranged
I have existed for years
But very little has changed
I am the tool of the government
And industry too
For I am destined to rule
And regulate you

I may be vile and pernicious
But you can't look away
I make you think I'm delicious
With the stuff that I say
I am the best you can get
Have you guessed me yet?
I am the slime oozin' out from your TV set

You will obey me while I lead you
And eat the garbage that I feed you
Until the day that we don't need you
Don't go for help....no one will heed you
Your mind is totally controlled
And stuffed into my mold
And you will do as you are told
Until the rights to you are sold

THAT'S RIGHT FOLKS....DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL

Can't stop the slime, people lookit me go.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1995, The Zappa Family Trust

Fifteen years ago the media couldn't have cared less about Terry Schiavo. After her feeding tube was removed a few years ago for the first time, they were on it like flies on you know what, with the media representing both the flies and the "you know what".

Zappa's tune is attacking videos and the garbage TV shows that were emanating from from our TV sets way back in the early '70s when this album was released. It isn't too much of a stretch to apply these lyrics to Matt, Katie, Wolf, Chris, Ann, and everyone else who works for the most destructive force in America, and perhaps the world today, the media conglomerates and their insatiable need for a Red Meat Feast on a daily basis.

It is appalling to to know that Terry is starving to death. We put down killers and animals in a more humane way then what they are doing to her. Why not an overdose of morphine if it has to be done? It is done routinely to other terminal patients on a daily basis.

I also have a problem with the doctors and everyone else telling us what Terry feels, how do they know? Can they be 100% sure that she doesn't have some kind of awareness of what is happening to her? If you've ever read the book "Johnny Got His Gun" by Dalton Trumbo, it is somewhat similar, although the main character could communicate by wriggling to tapping on his chest.

Thanks for the topic Catherine

Thanks for your respone Rick...another thing about those doctors...they say the opposite when animal rights activists protest the horrible experiments on animals that are performed in the name of science.

It's just whatever fits their agendas.

Catherine

Wow, if George W & Congress would fight this hard for Soc Sec, Medicare, Medical Reform as they did for Torte Reform & Terri Schiavo wouldn't it be something?

As for the Infotainment Hosts for GMA, TODAY & The Early Show, well what do you expect? They are paid millions to laugh/smile when they have Robin Williams on (complete with forced laughter from crew members in the background), look somber when they have Dana Reeve on or Terri Schiavo's parents, act non-committle when they have on Michael Schiavo or anyone involved in anything with "racial overtones" to ig, play "gotcha" when they have on Robert Blake or any OJ supporter, cheerlead when they talk about Jessica Lynch and her "heroics" in Operation Desert Strom and last but not least, when discussing the Administration or questioning anyone from it - ALWAYS TREAD LIGHTLY - or else you will be demonized by the spinmeisters of the Adminstration!

I think that's how it's done.