EMBARGOED UNTIL 8:00 A.M. ET, 14 JULY 2015 #PPSellsBabyParts PLANNED PARENTHOOD'S TOP DOCTOR, PRAISED BY CEO, USES PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTIONS TO SELL BABY PARTS PPFA Senior Director of Medical Services Deborah Nucatola, Other Planned Parenthood Leadership Documented Selling Aborted Baby Parts in 3-Year Investigative Journalism Study Contact: David Daleiden, media@centerformedicalprogress.org, 949.734.0859 LOS ANGELES, July 14-New undercover footage shows Planned Parenthood Federation of America's Senior Director of Medical Services, Dr. Deborah Nucatola, describing how Planned Parenthood sells the body parts of aborted fetuses, and admitting she uses partial-birth abortions to supply intact body parts.
By now, you've seen THE VIDEO.
It's been the talk of social media, particularly among pro-life advocates, for a full day now.
Given the subject matter, it's no surprise that GetReligionista emeritus Mollie Hemingway — now a senior editor with The Federalist — has been all over the issue:
Six hours after the video began making waves, Mollie wrote at The Federalist:
This is a story that requires thoughtful and substantive coverage. That the media are beginning by ignoring it is not a good sign that they have learned a single lesson from crapping the bed with their coverage of the monstrous abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell.
But can "thoughtful and substantive coverage" be produced immediately? While understanding Mollie's frustration, I sympathize, too, with the perspective of another former GetReligionista: Washington Post religion writer Sarah Pulliam Bailey.
On Twitter, Sarah made the case that, hey, real reporting takes a little time:
Wait a minute! Did Sarah just say that "blogs have it easy?" What!? (Seriously, I get what she's saying and, for the most part, agree.)
As the night progressed, the story did make its way to major mainstream media outlets:
Of course, the coverage itself did not please everyone:
Meanwhile, Dawn Eden, another former GetReligionista, raised a compelling question on the video itself. Her basic point, as I understand it: Does the end justify the means?:
I realize I haven't really critiqued the media coverage itself with this post. My inability to offer a quick, easy opinion probably makes me a bad blogger (right, Sarah?). But as much as I hate to admit it, I'm still trying to understand the complexities and separate the fact from fiction — the reality from spin — in this situation.
Trust that we at GetReligion are following the coverage and the ongoing debate over the media's role.
Stay tuned for more analysis. You out there, tmatt?