Another epic fail from the Irish Times on abortion

What’s very clear from this new debacle caused by yet another bout of Irish Times misreporting is that the paper has lost all credibility when it comes to abortion.

The features editor of the Irish Times has now admitted that, contrary to what was suggested in a prominent article in the paper, no pro-life group told students that ‘rape victims can’t become pregnant’.The features editor of the Irish Times has now admitted that, contrary to what was suggested in a prominent article in the paper, no pro-life group told students that ‘rape victims can’t become pregnant’.

The incendiary suggestion was made by Peter McGuire in a lengthy article on pro-life presentations in schools.

McGuire began the article with a provocative paragraph claiming that students had been told that ‘rape victims can’t become pregnant’, and then named two pro-life groups in connection with the claim.

“A rape victim can’t become pregnant. Abortion damages a woman’s internal organs. Abortion destroys a woman’s mental health. These are among the messages that have been given to secondary-school students in Ireland by teachers and outside agencies such as Life Pregnancy Care and Family & Life,” he wrote.

However, that same day on twitter, the features editor of the IT, Conor Goodman admitted that the “rape comment came from teacher not an outside group”.

https://twitter.com/conorgoodman/status/429741106138710016

This was utterly extraordinary. Clearly the claim – made in the first line of the opening paragraph – was meant to create the worst possible impression of pro-life groups and to stir up opposition and anger.

On twitter, Goodman then claimed that the article ‘made it clear that the piece covered teachers and outside groups’.

This weak justification does not stand up to scrutiny.

The first paragraph opens up with this shocking claim and names two pro-life groups. But the article never returns to the claim. It never states that a teacher made this statement. It never clarifies that no pro-life group made such a statement.

In fact, Goodman also admitted on twitter that he was ‘clarifying’ what was said. Why would this be required if the meaning of the paragraph was clear?

The truth is that the suggestion opening up the article is utterly crass, shameful, and clearly sought to manipulate Irish Times readers.

I can’t imagine how the editors at the paper, or indeed, it’s legal department, allowed this to pass. Perhaps they were persuaded that, while pro-life groups were obviously being smeared, they would be ‘covered’ by how the claim was phrased.I can’t imagine how the editors at the paper, or indeed, it’s legal department, allowed this to pass. Perhaps they were persuaded that, while pro-life groups were obviously being smeared, they would be ‘covered’ by how the claim was phrased.

This is the worst sort of journalism, the nod and wink of the suggestion, the assault on reputation under the cover of fair comment.

But as I wrote previously, we have come to expect no less from the Irish Times.

Any credibility the Irish Times had on the abortion issue had, of course, been seriously undermined by the recent debacle in getting the facts horribly wrong on Ireland’s ‘first abortion‘.

Now in another epic fail, it has been revealed as a paper which smears pro-life groups and makes false suggestions to further an abortion agenda.

If it is to stop haemorrhaging readers perhaps it can now acknowledge its serious error and bring some balance and coherence to its reporting around abortion.

    

ACTION ALERT:

Call the Irish Times on 01 675 8000 and respectfully ask for a retraction and apology.