Media outlets wield unspeakable power. Which is why they have such an awesome responsibility. With the stroke of a keyboard a particular news outlet can literally sway the masses to support a particular movement, condemn a particular person or country, or disregard a true scandal or tragedy by brushing simply not covering the subject at all.
So subtle in fact, can media bias be, that all it takes is simply the omission of a single word, or a slight variation on a single word, to get the job done. A glaring example of this very tactic can be found in the BBC's newly updated style guide (accessible here), which instructs reporters to use the term "anti-abortion" instead of "pro-life" when describing people, platforms or organizations concerning the pro-life movement. The outlet is also clear to command journalists never to use the term "pro-abortion" and instead use the term "pro-choice" when referring to people who support a "woman's right to choose."
The BBC's gross displays of left-wing bias are already well documented and given this glimpse of the reporter style book, we can see why.
Of course the BBC insultingly maintains that it is an objective outlet and claims it does "all it can to ensure that controversial subjects are treated with due accuracy and impartiality in all relevant output."
Peter D. Williams, a spokesperson for the pro-life organization, Right to Life, told Breitbart London that he fiends the BBC's new style guide "an utterly shameless example of institutional bias against the right-to-life movement, and for the abortion lobby."
He added that the style guide proves how bias at the BBC is "systemic" and that the news outlet "must reverse this policy, and apologize for their utter lack of consultation and fair-mindedness in forming it."
In response, the ever-shameless BBC told Breitbart that its aim is "to report impartially" and that it uses "the terminology that most accurately reflects both sides of the abortion debate."
Yes, both sides -- the pro-choice side and the anti-abortion side.
