Unprecedented Media Coverage for 3/23 Rallies
Posted by Matt Yonke (March 24, 2012 at 11:09 am)
The Nationwide Rally for Religious Freedom was an outstanding success. So huge the media simply could not ignore the Rallies as they sometimes do with conservative events.
Rally co-chair Eric Scheidler appeared on Fox News twice in the leadup to the Rally—watch yesterday’s interview to the right—and they covered the New York City Rally live. Eric also appeared on the Laura Ingraham Show and other major commentators like Glenn Beck covered and promoted the Rallies.
I’ve been involved in grassroots activism for years, including protests that have drawn national attention, and I’ve never seen as much secular, mainstream media coverage as the Nationwide Rally garnered.
Check out the results of a Google News search for “Rally for Religious Freedom”. News outlets nationwide covered these Rallies because of the huge numbers involved.
Thanks to everyone who came and made this a major media event and the first step on the road to defeat President Obama’s HHS Mandate!
Thank you for your efforts! Let’s keep this thing going!
Thousands Rally for Religious Freedom, Against Obama’s Birth Control Mandate
Alex Murashko
Christian Post
March 24th, 2012 at 11:26 am
First of all – I am not for abortion, I was a teenage victim, who kept her child and raised him as a single parent. However ~
Are we certain that this actual statement is in the document:
“”President Obama’s directive to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that states that religious institutions must cover contraception, abortifacients and sterilization in their employees’ health insurance””
And it would be less rhetoric, and more honest if we saw the hard copy? Also, isn’t this just an attempt from anti-obama people to drag him down? Don’t insurance companies already take care of and pay for this stuff already?
March 24th, 2012 at 11:57 am
Not surprisingly, there has been no coverage by the left-leaning mainstream media outlets. Other than one or two local affiliates, nothing was covered by CBS ABC NBC CNN Nothing in the NYTimes, nothing in Hartford Courant, nothing printed in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Washington Post piece is in the “On Faith” section with a majority of comments on the web article being rabidly anti-Catholic.
Due to media bias and manipulation, this issue has been marginalized as a “Catholic issue” and “a contraceptive issue” or, alternatively, labeled as a “denial of women’s rights issue” rather than an issue of government over-reach. If these had been rallies by the women’s rights factions, the big media outlets would have been there.
March 24th, 2012 at 12:31 pm
Mary. You are right, contraception is already paid for by the government. You are wrong if you think this is a political push to defeat President Obama. What this is to protest the right of religious institutions that find contraception, abortion inducing drugs and sterilization as evil. How Religious would an institution be if for 2000 years they have stated that these are evil and then pay an insurance to provide these items for their employees.
March 24th, 2012 at 12:50 pm
Was placing Madison WI rally in God’s Hands through Mary and our prayers were answered. Wisconsin State Journal had short article online at 1:40pm after the rally on Friday. Capital Times online had an article with photo. Print edition of Wisconsin State Journal today/Saturday has front page article, according to my friend who gets the paper.
March 24th, 2012 at 1:52 pm
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March 24th, 2012 at 5:00 pm
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March 24th, 2012 at 9:51 pm
I looked at the websites of all the TV stations in Tucson, the local newspaper in Tucson and the local paper in Phoenix late Friday night and there was NOT ONE MENTION of either the Tucson or Phoenix rallies!
March 24th, 2012 at 11:41 pm
Don’t mean to be critical, but you’re surfing a different Internet than I am to claim unprecedented media coverage.
Astonishing media blackout is more like it. I was glad to hear Beck covered it but there was no mention on any of the major conservative talkers that I know of, and no coverage that I can find on any major conservative websites or blogs.
Something for us to work on next time.
March 25th, 2012 at 4:12 pm
Thanks to everyone who organized and attended the rallies; it was encouraging to see so many people of faith and courage out in force at the Chicago rally. I am a freelance Catholic journalist. I will cover and report on what I can. I have posted slideshows and interviews of the Chicago rally on my YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/mentemincaelestia, and blog, mentemincaelestia.wordpress.com. I met at least one other independent Catholic journalist at the rally, too. I believe this is what it will take–if the Catholic news outlets and independents each does his or her part, our reach will be greater than the secular media’s could ever hope to be. Word-of-mouth reporting should not be underestimated.
March 25th, 2012 at 10:53 pm
There seemed to be a media blackout in Chicago and also, I understand that the microsophones at the rally were not working.
March 26th, 2012 at 3:40 pm
And make sure to call, call, and call your two U.S. Senators and one U.S. House rep. in Wash., DC at (202) 224-3121.
Also sign the petition at http://www.stophhs.com
March 29th, 2012 at 2:34 pm
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April 13th, 2012 at 1:00 pm