Michael W. Chapman spends a Nov. 14 CNSNews.com article lavishing attention on a Catholic-generated conspiracy theory that a tetanus vaccine being used in Kenya “by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is laced with a hormone that causes miscarriages and infertility.”
While Chapman does concede that “UNICEF denies that the vaccine is tainted and the WHO says the ‘allegations are not backed by the evidence,'” the bulk of his article isconcerned with presenting the claims made by “the Catholic Bishops of Kenya, along with the Kenya Catholic Doctors Association,” as true and WHO and UNICEF as trying to hide something.
Chapman also brings in Donna Harrison, “an OB/GYN and executive director of the American Association of Prolife Obstetricians and Gynecologists,” to bolster the Catholics’ case. He doesn’t mention that Harrison is an anti-birth control activist who peddles the myth that morning-after pills cause abortions.
While Chapman does eventually tell bothh sides of the story, he waits until the 31st paragraph of his article to note WHO’s and UNICEF’s evidence that the vaccines are not laced with infertility drugs.
Chapman’s promotion of this anti-vaccine conspiracy theory is ironic because other branches of CNS’ owner, the Media Research Center, have railed against those who promote anti-vaccine conspiracy theories (when they don’t involve Gardasil, anyway).
We’re aware of CNS’ pro-Catholic leanings and reputation for unbalanced reporting, but can’t Chapman — who, remember, is CNS’ managing editor — try to attempt some actual journalism by fairly presenting both sides of the story instead of putting his thumb on the scale in favor of the Catholics, no matter how crazy their conspiracy theory sounds?
Apparently not — to him, the political narrative is more important than the facts.