Silence

Every morning on my commute I listen to National Public Radio’s morning show “All Things Considered.” I enjoy hearing about the latest scientific reports, community arts presentations, or international news. Now I admit that I grit my teeth from time to time listening to NPR. Some political reporting seems to be nothing more than the daily Democratic Party talking points. The only news I ever hear about the president is positive; most all the news I hear about Republicans is negative. But NPR’s non-reporting on January 23rd sent me over the edge. On January 23rd hundreds of thousands of pro-life advocates marched in the freezing rain of Washington, D.C. And NPR did not say a thing.

Of course National Public Radio was not the only news outlet which left the pro-life march unmentioned. The New York Times ignored the 2012 March for Life in Washington, D.C. for the fifth straight year. The Washington Post took cropped pictures of the event, focusing on individuals or small groups. Some main-stream media sites gave glancing coverage referring to  “a few thousand anti-abortion” protesters. ABC, CBS, and NBC all ignored the D.C. event on their nightly news broadcasts. National Public Radio itself covered the trial on the murder of late-term abortionist George Tiller on Friday but had no March for Life mention. On NPR’s Tell Me More radio show that Monday host Michel Martin did interview a pro-life representative but not before an abortion doctor labeled pro-life protests as “extremism, terrorism, and bullying.” The only way that one would get a sense of the 2012 March for Life in our nation’s capital is through social media. Since main stream media sources ignored the march, estimates must be made by looking at photos of the event. If you go to Facebook, multiple pictures are posted of what can only be labeled as a sea of people. The crowd overflows the street on the way toward The Supreme Court as far as the eye could see. Social media estimates mark the total of pro-life marchers at over 300,000.

Just days before the pro-life rally in D. C. National Public Radio reported on the march of 10,000 people in Istanbul. People walked through the Turkish capital to commemorate the killing of a single journalist there 5 years ago. Yet, not a week later, National Public Radio remained silent when 300,000 pro-life advocates walked peacefully through the main thoroughfares of our nation’s capital. NPR editors need to practice the title of their own show “All Things Considered.” I will continue to listen to news from NPR and other news sources, even though I sometimes disagree. However I refuse to be silent about media silence. The voices of 50 million aborted American babies depend upon my voice. For Moody Radio, this is Dr. Mark Eckel, personally seeking truth wherever it’s found.

Mark’s commute takes him to Crossroads Bible College in Indianapolis. Tweet or Share if you like this post. “Silence” will air on Moody Radio in March, 2012.