Reporting on controversial issues can be difficult. Consider abortion, gay marriage and the death penalty- those issues center on personal/family views and dip into religious belief.  No matter the journalistic findings, adult’s views will remain consistent on these particular topics.

Errol Louis, CNN Political Commentator, stated his beliefs on the Right-Wing Planned Parenthood Video hoax. The hoax claimed that Planned Parenthood was selling body parts of aborted babies. The story became part of a 30-month-long investigative journalism study by The Center For Medical Progress.  This claim was found to be completely untrue.

Louis said: “To those already convinced that abortions should be safe, legal and rare, it looks like Planned Parenthood is responsibly doing exactly what a medical provider should. People who already want to ban all abortions everywhere will see the conversations as some nefarious trade in baby parts. In other words, the videos are less an investigative expose than a mirror in which a divided nation can look at its view on abortion.”

In recent months, abortion, gay marriage, and the death penalty have circled around the media.  It seems that people either agree or disagree with the topic and there is little room for discussion. It is not a journalist’s job to sway audiences’ opinion regarding a topic, but they do have a responsibility to expose the truth.  If individuals have their mind set on particular issues, is it a waste of time to report on them? Is there a more effective way to report?