A press conference organized for the Creating a Culture of Life conference in Toronto with Polish and Dutch leaders was completely ignored by all major media outlets in the Toronto region.
Media were informed about the event that featured Dr. Jack Willke, president of the International Right to Life Federation, Dr. Bert Dorenbos, president Cry for Life (a national pro-life group in Holland), Lech Kowalewski, president of the Polish Pro-life Federation and Dr Barrie deVeber, president of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition in Canada.
The purpose of the press conference was to preview the new film Faces of Euthanasia, that was produced by the Polish Pro-life Federation, and to explain the current state of euthanasia and assisted-suicide laws internationally.
This was the only opportunity media in the Toronto region had to speak to international leaders who oppose euthanasia. It is likely that if Peter Singer, Dr. Philip Nitszche (from Australia), or Dutch euthanasia campaigners were in Toronto and hosting a press conference, the media frenzy would most likely have been without precedent.
Media attitudes toward euthanasia and assisted suicide are consistent. Only a few weeks before the press conference, most of the media in Canada had spun a false web by stating that new end-of-life care guidelines produced by the University of Toronto’s Joint Centre for Bioethics would de-facto legalize euthanasia in Canada. This was completely false and in fact created significant confusion and problems for many medical professionals.
Are we asking too much to expect equal and truthful coverage from the national media? It seems that, in fact, the editorial mind is set in stone and anything that doesn’t flow with that belief is ignored.
Maybe the only way we will be able to get good information about euthanasia, assisted suicide and end-of-life care into our communities is by distributing it ourselves.
If you are interested in helping the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition distribute the Euthanasia Paper, call toll free: 1-817-439-3348.
Credit must be given to the Catholic Regster’s Lorraine Williams, who wrote an excellent article about the euthanasia press conference. The National Post has an editorial position against legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide, yet it did not send a reporter to this important press conference.
