Fwd: Orlando Paper Misrepresents Facts of Schiavo Case

June 11, 2008

http://terrisfight.org/eNewsletters/NewsAlert36.html

Orlando Paper Misrepresents Facts of Schiavo Case, Attorney Asks for Correction

On Saturday, May 24, 2008, Aaron Deslatte, a reporter from the Orlando Sentinel published a story that wrongly referenced Terri Schiavo as being "brain dead".

Two voice messages and an email were left for Mr. Deslatte in an effort to ask for a correction by Terri Schiavo's brother, Bobby Schindler. There was no response to either the voice messages or the email.

On Wednesday, May 28, Bobby called the Orlando Sentinel and was told to speak with Mr. Dana Eagles.

Bobby kindly informed Mr. Eagles that using the phrase "brain dead" to depict Terri's condition was patently false, explaining that the term "brain death" is an authentic medical diagnosis and not an accurate term to describe a person in Terri's condition.

Mr. Eagles was also informed that a recent press release had been issued by Terri's Foundation to alert the media that using this offensive expression to describe Terri was inaccurate. Bobby also offered to send Mr. Eagles Terri's medical documents proving that no doctor, including those paid by Michael Schiavo, ever diagnosed Terri as being "brain dead".

The next day this email was sent to Bobby Schindler:

Dear Mr. Schindler: I reviewed your complaint with our state editor, Bob Shaw. We've considered the arguments you made in our phone conversation, but we've consistently used the term "brain-dead" in connection with the Terry Schiavo case, and we see it as a valid brief description. I appreciate your calling us about it and letting us know your point of view. Best regards, Dana Eagles Orlando Sentinel

Bobby subsequently responded to Mr. Eagles, informing him that if the Orlando Sentinel has been consistently using the term "brain-dead" to describe Terri, they have been consistently wrong. Mr. Eagles was also told that portraying Terri this way was not simply a "point of view" – his or anyone else's. Medical facts remain medical facts and, as such, are not open to the interpretation of an individual reporter or newspaper.

It was only after a May 31 letter by Attorney David Gibbs from the Gibbs Law Firm sent to the paper asking for a correction that the Orlando Sentinel admitted to making an error in the story that reported Terri as being "brain dead".

It is no wonder there is a growing disdain for our mainstream media whose often slanted and erroneous reporting not only taint their coverage, but with examples like this, expose just how biased and unwilling they are to make corrections even when it comes to the integrity of reporting the truth..

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