CBSNews.com Adopts Abortion Terminology

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: CBS News Issues

506872If not for the Virginia Tech tragedy, the top story on CBSNews.com right now would likely be the decision by the Supreme Court to uphold the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act. People on opposite sides of contentious issues like this often use certain terminology to try to frame the debate – see the "death tax" vs. "estate tax" argument. In this case, some, including President Bush, prefer the phrase "partial birth abortion," while others favor "late term abortion."

In covering the story, CBSNews.com has decided to go with this phrasing whenever possible: "what the law calls a partial birth abortion."

CBSNews.com Editorial Director (and sometime PE poster) Dick Meyer explained why.

"Both 'late term abortion' and 'partial birth abortion' are now phrases that signify a position, so we will use this phrasing though it is cumbersome," wrote Meyer in an email.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by geno8808 April 19, 2007 9:50 AM EDT: This is comtempible. CBS News and the rest of the media really need to clean house. Shut it down and start over.; Reply to this comment


by one_american April 18, 2007 9:49 PM EDT: My post from November of 2006 still holds:

"Well, well, well.

Finally, some admission that CBS will "color" a phrase for political purposes.

It is a death tax, since the person's estate is taxed after death, so why not call it such?

Why not call it partial birth abortion, since the fetus is aborted during its birth?

Why not be more honest with people, CBS?"; Reply to this comment


by sanfelz April 18, 2007 8:06 PM EDT: In his book "Words That Work"' Frank Luntz acknowledges that he coined the phrase "death tax" to charge the issue emotionally and to aid Republicans election victories. Dr. Luntz did not want to encourage debate, he wanted to dominate the debate with raw emotion rather than rational discussion. He also writes that he was for the "death tax" at that time but not favors its repeal.; Reply to this comment


by marie2233 April 18, 2007 8:05 PM EDT: Women have the right to choose not to get pregnant. That is the intelligent choice. Teach our children that Life is sacred, and maybe they wont kill each other.; Reply to this comment


by k-sozer April 18, 2007 7:19 PM EDT: It's not so much that the GOP is courting the evangelicals as it is that the evangelicals have taken over segments of the GOP, because the evangelicals have been so utterly rejected and marginalized by the Democrats.

I applaud the CBS decision to use the descriptive term "partial birth abortion," because those are the words used in the law.

Also, have estate taxes ever been imposed other than at death? No? So what's wrong with calling them death taxes, since that is what they are? And in fact, the term "death taxes" is more inclusive, because it covers both estate and inheritance taxes, both of which are triggere by death.; Reply to this comment


by mattcat25 April 18, 2007 5:44 PM EDT: The GOP has used this issue (along with freedom to shoot and kill anyone you please) as a wedge issue to sight a segment of our society that views this as a religious matter.

Technology has perfected procedures to allow an intelligent choice for some woman, the most that this GOP could ever hope to accomplish in the way of illegalizing these procedures is to return the question to each individual state.

The GOP will continue to manipulate the religious segment of our society into believing that they stand for their moral vision, but in reality the GOP hasn%u2019t shown any morality, and only continues to court the Christian right wing into supporting their egregious agenda.; Reply to this comment