On 8 Aug 2003 at 17:12, Maxine Krugman wrote:
monday, the Today show will feature the Michael J Fox Foundation and the work
they do. i do not know when during the program it will occur so if you can
set aside the time between 7 and 9 am monday august 11 please do so.
maxine
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Hi Maxine and Hi All,
The Today show airs from NEW YORK on NBC Monday-Friday 7-10a.m.ET
Two years ago, in the wake of George W. Bush's Aug 9th. 2001 Stem Cell Policy speech, Katie Couric interviewed MJF and
three others on the NBC Today show... (See below)
I'm not surprised that the topic and MJF would be revisited.
Thankyou for the "heads up" Maxine!
I'll be watchin'... murray
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For Immediate Release: Katie Wright (703) 683-5004 - Friday, August 10, 2001
Co-host of NBC’s Today Only Worried That Ban on Embryo Destruction Ends "Potential to Save Lives"
Katie Couric’s One-Sided Stem Cell Questions
Don’t fall out of your chair, but CBS’ Bryant Gumbel and ABC’s Diane Sawyer both managed a little balance this
morning in their coverage of President George W. Bush’s decision to allow federal funding of limited embryonic stem
cell research but not the further destruction of human embryos.
But in her interviews with four different guests, Today’s Katie Couric never once questioned the President’s
policy from a pro-life perspective. The NBC star’s only concern was that research efforts might be slowed by Bush’s
restrictions, and she scoffed at pro-life Senator Sam Brownback’s unease over using cells from destroyed human embryos.
First up was Bush aide Karen Hughes, who heard from Couric that "many members of the scientific community are
sorely disappointed with the decision because they say it severely limits research. It will take much, much longer to
actually treat the people this scientific research can potentially save. What is your response to scientists who say,
'he's really tied our hands here?'"
Couric pushed Hughes from the left a second time: "Of course, many of these frozen embryos will be discarded
because they won't be needed, so they'll be thrown in a dumpster anyway. Does it trouble President Bush that these
things are being thrown away when they have the potential to save lives?"
Finally, Couric read a statement from Tom Daschle expressing "concern...that the existing stem cell lines could be
inadequate to realize its potential lifesaving benefits." She asked Hughes if she thought Congress would overrule the
President and "expand the potential for research?"
She then interviewed actor Michael J. Fox, who has lobbied for full federal funding of embryonic stem cell
research as a way to combat the Parkinson’s Disease from which he suffers. Couric did not challenge Fox to justify the
sacrifice of human embryos. Instead, she invited Fox to condemn Bush’s decision as inadequate, asking "what about,
Michael, the fact that frozen embryos that were, in which stem cells have not been culled so far, will be off limits?"
Then, "for embryonic stem cell research advocates like yourself, where do you go from here?"
To Senator Brownback, an opponent of federally-funded embryo destruction, Couric assumed he was pleased. "I know
that you’re welcoming President Bush’s decision on this," she greeted him. But when Brownback said he was concerned
about the morality of using cells from destroyed embryos, Couric was shocked. "Senator Brownback," she protested,
"they’ve already been destroyed. I mean, is it a moot point now that the stem cells have actually already been culled?
He is not calling for the destruction of any other embryos."
Turning finally to stem cell researcher Dr. John Gearhart, Couric continued with the sympathetic tone she had
struck with Fox. "How much will research be slowed down if new stem cells cannot be harvested from the frozen embryos
that currently exist?" she wondered.
In contrast, ABC’s Sawyer challenged Karen Hughes from both sides. Like Couric, she worried about the research
consequences: "Michael J. Fox, Chris Reeve and others have said, ‘Sixty lines, great, go ahead and explore those, but
what if it’s the sixty-first line that holds the cure for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s?’ Has the door been shut on that?"
But, echoing Brownback, she also asked about the ethics of using cells from innocent embryos: "The opponents of this
say...life has been destroyed and it would be like saying, ‘I oppose murder, but if you’ve already murdered somebody,
then I’m going to go ahead and use the organs for transplants."
Good question, and one scoffed at by Katie Couric. -- Rich Noyes
SOURCE: Media Reality Check
http://www.mediaresearch.org/realitycheck/2001/20010810.asp
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