sinidentidades: SIGNAL BOOST: Lazy media reports...

SIGNAL BOOST:

Lazy media reports Komen Foundation decision as ‘reversal.’ It isn’t.

Earlier today, the news broke that the Komen Foundation had issued an apology for its decision to stop funding cancer screen and prevention at Planned Parenthood. The apology was nothing more than an attempt to control the damage done to the Komen brand, but the traditional media nonetheless did the work for the foundation by reporting it as a reversal of the Komen Foundation’s decision.

But it’s not.

Greg Sargent reports:

I just got off the phone with a Komen board member, and he confirmed that the announcement does not mean that Planned Parenthood is guaranteed future grants — a demand he said would be “unfair” to impose on Komen. He also said the job of the group’s controversial director, Nancy Brinker, is safe, as far as the board is concerned.

Right. So in other words, the foundation’s announcement isn’t reversing anything at all.

Further:

Pushed on whether this means the new announcement wasn’t really a reversal, [Komen board member John] Raffelli pushed back, arguing that Komen, in response to all the criticism, had removed politics from the grant-making process. “Is it really unclear that we’re changing the policy to address criticism?” he said.

Yes, it really is unclear. The Komen Foundation needs to state unequivocally that it will continue its long practice of working with Planned Parenthood; otherwise, this looks like nothing more than an attempt to try to change the narrative and the non-stop negative headlines about the foundation’s politicizing of breast cancer prevention.

Oh, and one more thing:

Asked if Brinker’s job was safe, Rafelli said: “Yes.” He added that the board “unequivocally” stood behind her.

That would be Nancy Brinker, founder and CEO of the foundation, who has spent the last 24 hours chastising critics for criticizing Komen.

So, traditional media, are you still going to keep doing the bidding of the Komen Foundation by pretending it has changed its position? Or are you going to report the truth?

If you want to support an organization that really does care about women’s health, click to donate to Planned Parenthood.