By this point, we need to declare, the news outlets refuse to accept reality. It is one of my ongoing themes in my media podcasts, that being when will the press complex in this country catch a clue and begin rectifying the flawed journalism leading to their demise? For years we have catalogued not only the ways the press has been operating in dysfunctional fashion but also how it has led to audience flight, lowered ratings, plunging circulation, public opinion cratering, and industry-wide layoffs that have been plaguing the media for years, but no course corrections are taking place. 

Supporting this professional sloth is the latest awarding of The Pulitzer Prize, the supposed pinnacle of journalism excellence, and here we see that instead of looking to repair the damaged system, they are intent on rewarding the behavior that is sinking the credibility of the industry. This week, they honored the alleged “best” of 2024, and once again top honors went to bottom-of-the-barrel journalism.

The subsidized leftist outlet ProPublica was granted the Distinguished Public Service award - basically the top honor at the Pulitzers - for its series of articles covering the dire aftereffects of the Dobbs decision and the alleged numerous medical tragedies the tightened abortion laws have provoked. Covering a number of stories, ProPublica cataloged instances of women dying or suffering serious physical distress due to the blocking of abortion care. That these were deeply misleading reports was of little concern to the Pulitzer board.

The claim in many of the cases cited by the outlet was that doctors had refused or delayed care after women miscarried, out of fear that treating them would violate the strict new abortion laws. This is patently false, as miscarriages are a natural occurrence and are in no way legislated in these laws. Any lack of care granted is the result of medical professionals acting incorrectly. In one notable story a woman in Georgia died, and it is said this was due to a lack of abortion access. So they found a handful of deeply questionable cases, which is roughly the same number as those who die annually from the abortion procedure.

This particular story was patently deceptive. In this case, the woman had taken the abortion pill and later developed complications as she had failed to expel all of the tissue and became infected. There were delays in getting her treated and she died from the effects. Blaming this on the stricter abortion law is farcical. For one, she had access to the abortion pill, so she was not prevented from an abortion, as implied. Secondly, since she had already committed the abortion, doctors were in no way going to be seen as culpable; they were not performing the procedure. 

The other dodge that is made is glossing over how most of these laws - such as the one in Georgia - have language that allows for treatment in cases where the mother’s life is endangered. So how is the law blamed when not only was a woman notably threatened, but she had already terminated the pregnancy? Further, the outlet makes these bold claims absent anything constituting proof that the law was the factor in any decision.

Doctors and a nurse involved in Thurman’s care declined to explain their thinking and did not respond to questions from ProPublica. Communications staff from the hospital did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

So they make these accusatory stories without regard to what the laws say, and absent any definitive proof that the laws were crucial to these tragic ends. Yet the reports fit nicely with the media narratives, so they are lauded for what is distinctly misleading reporting – for dare we say delivering “misinformation.”

The Pulitzer Committee, one might expect, would be particularly stringent on such a matter, considering they are currently facing a defamation lawsuit from President Trump. This would be concerning the time this committee rewarded the New York Times and Washington Post for their series of false reporting on the Russian collusion scandal. 

Also of note is what was not being recognized by the Pulitzer board. Nowhere on its list of winners and nominees will you see any diligent reporting on the condition of former President Joe Biden. Despite this becoming something the press is now grudgingly admitting to have been a serious issue, somehow any coverage eluded the Committee's standards.

A sober mind would look at these ProPublica efforts as an example of where the press needs to clean up on its practices; instead they are lauded and held up as the paragon of journalism excellence. Until they address these issues in a serious fashion nothing will improve. When the press industry refuses to be honest with themselves, there is no expectation that they are being honest with the general public.

Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie.

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