Last week, in an effort to downplay the biological realities that support the pro-life movement, The New York Times referred to unborn babies’ detectable heartbeats as “embryonic pulsing.”
“A State House vote on Wednesday moved the abortion measure to the governor’s desk, after lawmakers rejected a series of amendments including an exception for cases of rape or incest. The measure would require an ultrasound test for any woman seeking to terminate a pregnancy, and forbid abortion if the test detects embryonic pulsing — which can occur before many women know they are pregnant,” the Times reported on a new piece of “heartbeat” legislation that has passed in Louisiana (emphasis added).
Other outlets, such as The Daily Beast, have repeated the Times’ euphemistic language to deny pro-life realities:
According to The New York Times, the bill requires women who seek to have an abortion have an ultrasound test to detect embryonic pulsing. If pulsing is detected, abortion would not be permitted unless “necessary to save a woman’s life or to prevent a ‘serious risk’ to her health.”
In May, NPR issued a how-to “guidance reminder” for journalists reporting on pro-life laws. It helped instruct journalists how to use anti-pro-life language.
“In a ‘Guidance Reminder: On Abortion Procedures, Terminology & Rights,’ NPR Supervising Senior Editor of Standards and Practices Mark Memmott makes painfully clear on which side of the argument NPR stands. Memmott begins by warning journalists not to use the phrase ‘fetal heartbeat’ because it can give an embryo too much developmental credit (and because it is ‘their term’),” The Daily Wire reported at the time.
“One thing to keep in mind about this law and others like it: Proponents refer to it as a ‘fetal heartbeat’ law,” NPR advised in one example. “That is their term. It needs to be attributed to them if used and put in quotation marks if printed. We should not simply say the laws are about when a ‘fetal heartbeat’ is detected. As we’ve reported, heartbeat activity can be detected ‘about six weeks into a pregnancy.’ That’s at least a few weeks before an embryo is a fetus.”
Moreover, as noted by NewsBusters, ABC correspondent Steve Osunsami recently described supporters of Louisiana’s pro-life law as folks who “believe that a fetal heartbeat can be detected.”
Pro-abortion fanatic and actress Alyssa Milano took note, scolding any media who dare to refer to pro-life legislation as “heartbeat bills.”
“Dear Press, stop calling them ‘heartbeat’ bills and call them ‘fetal pole cardiac activity’ bills,” she mocked.
As previously highlighted by The Daily Wire, the media’s euphemistic language choice is anti-science; Johns Hopkins Medicine rightly acknowledges that unborn babies, just weeks after conception, have beating hearts:
“According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, in a section titled, First Trimester Fetal Growth and Development Benchmarks, ‘By the end of four weeks: All major systems and organs begin to form. The embryo looks like a tadpole. The neural tube (which becomes the brain and spinal cord), the digestive system, and the heart and circulatory system begin to form. The beginnings of the eyes and ears are developing. Tiny limb buds appear, which will develop into arms and legs. The heart is beating.’”