NYT: Progress Reported on Budget Standoff, but No Deal Yet
As the prospect of a federal government shutdown becomes more pressing, the New York Times reports on what progress-if any at all- Congress has made in reaching a compromise. Since much of the trouble with establishing an agreement stems from sharp discord on contentious issues such as funding Planned Parenthood, the article reflects the Republicans and Democrats' blame game of the past several weeks. I do not believe dramatization is a major part of the article, as the politicians have certainly achieved this on their own. However, one aspect that bothered me was the NYT's description of the points of contention.
The article states, "Ideological disputes over abortion financing and changes to the nation’s clean air laws have proven to be major obstacles to a deal." This is in reference to the controversy of providing federal funding to Planned Parenthood, which does much more than just provide abortions. It is referred to as "abortion financing" once again near the story's conclusion. This is especially disappointing since the NYT ran at least one story centered on the Planned Parenthood controversy in the last couple of months: Planned Parenthood Funding is Caught in Budget Feud.
By reducing Planned Parenthood to an issue of "abortion financing", the NYT is contributing to the mistaken yet common perception that all this institution does is provide abortions. It's a seemingly harmless, small reference in the article, but the impact it can have on an uninformed reader is significant. This also illustrates the extent of the influence politicians can wield over the media. Many Republican congressmen have pressed the connection between Planned Parenthood and abortion services, thus media outlets such as the NYT are now more inclined to focus on this aspect of the clinic.
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