Catholic Leaders Join MRC Outrage Over Network Silence on Catholics vs. Obama Lawsuit

Nine prominent Catholic leaders have joined the Media Research Center to voice outrage over the broadcast networks deliberately withholding news of the momentous 43 Catholic entities suing the Obama administration for violating their religious freedoms. They represent major organizations including the Acton Institute, Cardinal Newman Society, SBA List and others. More are coming in every hour.

There are 60 million Catholics in the US.  The Catholic vote will be the most important swing vote this year.  So it's not just a major policy issue, it is one with massive political implications.  Yet, 19 seconds of news coverage remains the only attention given by the evening broadcast networks. Two days after news broke, the tally is:

- ABC World News - ZERO seconds of coverage. But, last night there was time for a full report on sleep apnea and Katie Couric discussing how she met Queen Elizabeth; how she wore a peach coat and "a lovely peach hat."

- NBC Nightly News - ZERO seconds of coverage. But last night there was time to squeeze in a story on a new computer app that shows America's eating habits, "graphic evidence" of how we eat badly late at night. 

- CBS Evening News - a brief 19 seconds of coverage on the evening the lawsuit became public. ZERO coverage last night.  But there was time in the broadcast for a Cincinnati Reds baseball fan lucky enough to catch two home runs in left field. 

"The intentional, deafening silence continues," stated Brent Bozell, MRC President, "and we are not the only ones concerned. This deliberate censorship must come to an end."

STATEMENTS

"Beginning with the 367,000 people who protested Notre Dame's 2009 honoring of President Obama, Catholics across America have united to oppose unconstitutional threats to their rights of conscience and religious freedom.   Now in an unprecedented move, the US Catholic Conference of Bishops, along with over 40 other catholic institutions, has sued the Obama administration.   And rather than covering what is perhaps the most significant lawsuit in the history of the US Catholic Church, the media have deliberately chosen to ignore the story outright. It is shameful and yet another example of why Americans are increasingly getting their news elsewhere."

 Patrick Reilly
 President, Cardinal Newman Society

"The suit by the Catholic Bishops, and other catholic institutions, against the Obama administration is a courageous and bold move in defending the religious freedom of all citizens; especially women and the unborn.  As members of religious institutions and leaders in business, women must not be coerced to pay for insurance policies which violate their most deeply held religious convictions when it comes to the rights of the unborn.  As a result of not covering this lawsuit against the Administration, the media are deliberately choosing to side with the administration's attack on religious liberty."

Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb-staff/2012/05/23/fury-spreads-catholic-leaders-join-mrc-outrage-over-network-silence-cathol#ixzz1vjKqJuXp