Prolifers urge the public to correct the media on the Schiavo case

Washington D.C., Oct 28, 2003 / 22:00 pm

The media is getting it wrong when covering Terri Schiavo’s case and pro-lifers want the public to do something about it.

After Terri’s husband, Michael Schiavo, appeared on “Larry King Live” on Monday and called his wife “a comatose in persistent vegetative state,” many pro-lifers have been calling in to radio and television stations across North America insisting that they correct the misinformation. 

Last week, Toronto News radio station 680 reported that Shiavo was in a persistent vegetative state. LifeSite News, a Canadian pro-life news provider, called in to say that the description of her medical state was incorrect. The newsroom immediately made the correction.

North American news outlets continue to misreport the medical facts in Terri’s story, say her family, her doctors and the pro-family organization Focus on the Family. This misinformation exacerbates the case. In an effort to remedy this, Terri’s family, several doctors and her caregivers spent an hour trying to school reporters on the facts las week  at a press conference.

Terri's family and several doctors stressed that it is debatable whether she is in a persistent vegetative state, despite court rulings labeling her as such. Terri does not meet the standard definition of comatose, which is someone who is in a deep or prolonged state of unconciousness: she clearly reacts to affection, she controls several of her body functions, her eyes show she is capable of recongnizing people and she has been capable of responding to some basic medical commands, like pulling a doctor’s finger.

For the Schindlers, the first task at hand in setting the public record straight regarding the erroneous use of the word "comatose" by media.

In the meantime, pro-lifers say the public can help by calling media outlets to correct them if they hear incorrect information about Terri’s state of health.