Reuters on Abortion Debate: "Conservatives" vs. "Abortion Rights Activists"

January 31st, 2006 5:13 PM

Conservatives should be happy to see Reuters running a story headlined "Abortion rights groups say battle being lost." But reporter Carey Gillam conducts an almost perfect lesson in how not to label the opposing sides. Not only is one side "pro-choice" or "abortion rights activists," while the other side are "anti-abortion advocates," but Gillam finds "conservatives" on the pro-life side four times, but never finds an L word for the abortion-on-demand folks:

-- "The expected Senate confirmation to the Supreme Court of conservative jurist Samuel Alito, who is favored by anti-abortion advocates, is seen as a key turning point. Yet it is only the latest in a series of blows to abortion rights advocates..."

-- "President Bush is a vocal supporter of the anti-abortion movement. Conservative church groups across the country increasingly oppose abortion."

-- "John Green, a senior research fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, said the appointment of Alito and the flood of anti-abortion legislation are tied to the increasing power of conservative religious groups..."

-- "Anti-abortion groups say much has changed in the 33 years since the famed U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe V. Wade cleared the way for legalized abortion. They acknowledge the increased power of religious conservatives in public policy, but say other factors are central to the rise of anti-abortion legislation and what they say is waning public support for abortion."

Also notice that the conservatives are religious or church groups, but the liberals are not only not liberal, they're not feminists or secularists.