While covering the Supreme Court arguments for Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the nation’s top-ranked Spanish-language television newscast gave ample time for pro-choice politicians and protesters to state their case, all while giving pro-life advocates only 17 seconds of their coverage.
Honest journalism was openly sacrificed at the altar of the pro-choice agenda when Noticiero Univision covered the protests in front of the Supreme Court. During the segment, Univision’s Vilma Tarazona explicitly said supporters for both sides of the argument were at the site.
But in the report itself, pro-choice protesters dominated. Overall, the 2 minute, 57 second long segment painted the Texas bill and a Supreme Court decision in its favor as an attack on women’s rights, with only 17 seconds devoted to presenting the opposing pro-life side.
Texas state representative Jodie Lautenberg appeared briefly in the report, speaking in favor of her bill.
VILMA TARAZONA, REPORTER, UNIVISION: Those who support the Texas law, starting with its author, say that these regulations look to protect the lives of women.
Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt is a fight over Texas bill HB 2, a law passed in 2013 that requires that abortions are performed only in hospital-like facilities used to perform outpatient surgery, and it includes a mandate that any doctor performing an abortion has to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.
The Nation’s highest Court will decide whether these requirements are an “undue burden” on a woman’s rights to an abortion, as established in Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992.
The full transcript of the referenced portion of Univision’s March 2nd, 2016 Noticiero Univision can be found below:
NOTICIERO UNIVISION
3/2/16
6:39:32 – 6:42:29 PM EST
JORGE RAMOS, ANCHOR, UNIVISION: Almost a quarter of a century later, the debate about abortion came back to the Supreme Court today. The justices will determine if a regulation of abortion clinics in Texas violates the constitutional right of a woman to interrupt her pregnancy. The case is generating an additional expectation because it will be analyzed by an incomplete Supreme Court by the recent death of Judge Antonin Scalia. Vilma Tarazona has the possible scenarios.
VILMA TARAZONA, REPORTER, UNIVISION: This is the most important case on abortion that the Supreme Court agrees to review in nearly two decades. The judges discuss whether Texas law imposes strict regulations on clinics and doctors who perform abortions interferes with the constitutional right of women to choose whether to interrupt their pregnancies. People for and against gathered in front of the court.
PAOLA WEEKS, PRO-CHOICE PROTESTER: I think this is a law that affects us all, especially women, because it’s our body and I don’t understand why other people have to tell us what to do.
VILMA TARAZONA, REPORTER, UNIVISION: Texas requires abortions clinics to be “mini-hospitals”, which forces them to improve their facilities and requires doctors to have access to a nearby hospital no more than 30 miles away from the clinic. The Supreme Court has said in the past that the courts cannot impose an unnecessary obstacle to the rights of women to choose abortion.
REP. XAVIER BECERRA, DEMOCRAT, CALIFORNIA: If this case goes in favor of the state of Texas... dangerous for women. Because from Texas this is going to other states, this kind of law prohibiting health care for many women.
VILMA TARAZONA, REPORTER, UNIVISION: Those who support the Texas law, starting with its author, say that these regulations look to protect the lives of women.
[CLIP OF REP. JODIE LAUTENBERG: “TEXAS CARES ABOUT OUR WOMEN…”]
VILMA TARAZONA, REPORTER, UNIVISION: [Translating Rep. Lautenberg.] “Texas cares about our women, and that is what this is about.” Opponents say that this is a way to force clinics to close, and to make abortions impossible.
ANDREA FERRIGNO, WHOLE WOMAN’S HEALTH CLINIC: Well, it has been incredibly restrictive, it has been a very damaging legislature for the state of Texas, especially the communities where mainly Hispanic people, and immigrants of low resources, this law has caused the closing of many clinics.
VILMA TARAZONA, REPORTER, UNIVISION: The opinion of the judges appears to be divided. The recent death of Justice Antonin Scalia left the judicial institution with eight justices, which makes it harder to obtain a majority of the votes.
VILMA TARAZONA, REPORTER, UNIVISION: Well, and if a majority vote is not achieved from among the eight justices, the Texas court decision would be sustained, regardless of the pronouncement by the Supreme Court, will set a precedent at the national level. At present, thirteen states in the country have regulations similar to that of Texas.
