The journalistic freak out over the possibility that the Supreme Court might actually overturn Roe continued on Wednesday night as ABC's Nightline devoted the entire episode to “extreme” new abortion laws and the scary future of “dismantling Roe.”
Correspondent Rachel Scott spent most of the program talking to women who have to travel far to get abortions. At various points, she dropped any pretense of fairness, lecturing, “In states like Texas, and now Oklahoma, extreme restrictions are already in place. Leaving those seeking abortions in limbo.” They're only extreme if you consider saving babies to be an illegitimate concept.
Signaling with perspective is paramount, she added, “Abortion rights advocates were particularly worried about two copycat bills modeled on that law out of Texas that made abortion illegal after the sixth week of pregnancy.”
The show began with an announcer declaring the show would be “an inside look at what overturning Roe v. Wade could actually look like in the states with the biggest restrictions in the country.” With scary music, the title came onscreen: “The Countdown: Dismantling Roe.”
Though Scott did talk to some pro-lifers, compare her questions to them to those women getting abortions. (Click “expand” to read more.)
[Talking to Republicans]
RACHEL SCOTT: Republican Wendy Stearman is still waiting for her bill to pass. It would ban abortion from conception. It includes a very narrow exception for rape and incest, but only if the victim files a police report. Critics say they look at how underreported rape and incest is across the country. Even in this state of Oklahoma. They say, why not make exceptions to cover all of those instances? Especially when rape and incest are so underreported?
...
SCOTT: Does it harm how effective these laws are if women are willing to go through the hurdles and the lengths of traveling hundreds of miles out of state to still get an abortion?
[Talking to women getting abortions.]
SCOTT: When did you first learn that you were pregnant? What was your reaction?
...
SCOTT: Did you ever think that that would be the length that you would have to go through?
SCOTT: When you think about the cost of the procedure, the cost of gas, the time away from work, the time away from family?
The show ended with yet more propaganda. Ominous music set to text from the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute.
ABC is not even trying to hide which side its journalists are on. In a NewsBusters study on Wednesday, I found that, in the first 24 hours after the draft Supreme Court decision leaked, ABC used the “conservative” label 15 times for conservatives on the court and ZERO labels for the liberal justices.
The pro-abortion propaganda was sponsored by Sleep Number beds. Click on the link to let them know what you think.
A partial transcript of the segment is below. Click “expand” to read more.
Nightline
5/4/2022 (technically aired after midnight on the east coast 5/5/2022)
ANNOUNCER: Tonight, as the Supreme Court appears poised to reverse nearly 50 years of abortion rights —
CROWD: Roe V. Wade is going to go!
ANNOUNCER: — an inside look at what overturning Roe v. Wade could actually look like. In the states with the biggest restrictions in the country.
WOMAN: It's demeaning to make a woman feel like she doesn't have a decision.
ANNOUNCER: This special edition of Nightline, "The Countdown: Dismantling Roe" will be right back.
...
SCOTT: In states like Texas, and now Oklahoma, extreme restrictions are already in place. Leaving those seeking abortions in limbo.
SECOND WOMAN: I want to know why they think it's okay to make a decision for a woman that they have not walked a day in their shoes at all.
...
SCOTT: In Oklahoma, lawmakers are voting on a number of abortion bills. These laws providing a blueprint for what life could soon look like in a post-Roe America.
PRIYA DESAI (Board member, The Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice): What's really upsetting about it is no matter how hard we try to connect with legislators, they are dead set on promoting their own agenda. And they do not listen to their constituents.
SCOTT: Abortion rights advocates were particularly worried about two copycat bills modeled on that law out of Texas that made abortion illegal after the sixth week of pregnancy. Nationwide, lawmakers in over a dozen states have proposed Texas copycat bills. Jhis week, Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt signed one of those bills banning abortion after six weeks, effective immediately.
WENDI STEARMAN (Oklahoma State Republican): My goal is to make sure that the state of Oklahoma outlaws abortion. As an individual citizen, my hope is that this will save the lives of babies.
SCOTT: Republican Wendy Stearman is still waiting for her bill to pass. It would ban abortion from conception. It includes a very narrow exception for rape and incest, but only if the victim files a police report. Critics say they look at how underreported rape and incest is across the country. Even in this state of Oklahoma. They say, why not make exceptions to cover all of those instances? Especially when rape and incest are so underreported?
...
SCOTT: Does it harm how effective these laws are if women are willing to go through the hurdles and the lengths of traveling hundreds of miles out of state to still get an abortion?
....
SCOTT: As Marie prepares for her abortion procedure and we wait on the other side, she worries about these new restrictions. In Texas, Oklahoma, and beyond.
....
SCOTT: When did you first learn that you were pregnant? What was your reaction?...
SCOTT: Did you ever think that that would be the length that you would have to go through?
...
SCOTT: When you think about the cost of the procedure, the cost of gas, the time away from work, the time away from family?
