Fake abortion news: Irish Media use false medical poll to promote repeal
"Three out of every four GPs and hospital consultants are in favour of allowing unrestricted access to abortion up to 12 weeks gestation, the most substantial survey of medics on the issue to date has found."
According to the Irish examiner, this groundbreaking poll was indicative of "a strong medical support for a more liberal abortion regime."
The survey, which was published in the Irish Medical Times, asked all readers of the GP and consultant-focussed publication if they support or oppose the potential 12-week law due to be introduced if the Eighth Amendment is removed.
Out of 388 respondents, a total of 285, or 73%, said they are in favour of the divisive new rule, while 96, or 25%, said they are opposed, with just seven survey takers, or 2%, saying they have no view on the matter. While the poll did not include responses from all 2,500 GPs and a similar number of consultants in Ireland, it is the most substantial examination of doctors’ 12-week abortion views to date.
The editor of the Irish Medical Times Lloyd Mudiwa said he believed that the results “would seem to suggest that at this point in time a significant majority of medical practitioners who participated in our poll support the recommendation of the committee, and that doctors aren’t necessarily more conservative than the general public, at least when it comes to this issue”.
However, under closer inspection, this seemingly legitimate medical poll is in reality neither 'medical' nor legit. The poll was actually conducted on social media (Facebook and Twitter), and the publication's website, saw a staggering 73% of 388 respondents say they supported the introduction of abortion on request in a pregnancy’s first 12 weeks. There was no way of knowing that the people taking the poll were actually doctors at all. Although it is unfortunate, it is hardly suprising. Pro-abortion groups desperate to push their agenda will go to great lengths to misrepresent science and cover up the truth about abortion, because their number one goal is abortion, no matter what.
The story caused ripples, creating a huge backlash within hours of being published, and both The Irish Times and the Journal.ie quickly withdrew the story from their websites. At the time of publication, the media gave the poll huge prominence, and was a breaking story, causing many to be misled and misinformed about the reality of support for repeal. The suggestion that the poll was 'medical' and boasted total medical authority was a false one, seeing as the poll could be taken by absolutely anybody and was not restricted to the county's 5,000 doctors. The idea that this poll was authentic was a totally ludicrous one; the only criteria for voting was a Facebook or Twitter account.
The backlash comes at a bad time for the repeal campaign - earlier this month the National Association of General Practitioners expressed disappointment at the Government’s lack of consultation with GP representative groups regarding proposals to repeal Ireland’s constitutional protections for the unborn and legislate for abortion.