NEW YORK, September 18, 2013 (LifeSiteNews) – A list posted by a pro-life group last month to the community forum on the site Buzzfeed detailing the top eight “outrageous” incidents caught on video at Planned Parenthood facilities has now been deleted by Buzzfeed staff after the posting went viral and provoked the wrath of pro-abortion advocates.
The article, titled “8 Outrageous Things Planned Parenthood was Caught Doing,” was posted on the Buzzfeed Community forum, an open platform where anyone can post Buzzfeed-style lists of their own creation, by pro-life group Personhood USA.
Using video evidence recorded by undercover investigators from Live Action, Personhood USA's post showed Planned Parenthood employees accepting donations to abort black babies; agreeing to perform sex-selective abortions; lying to women about fetal development, abortion risks and services offered; conspiring to cover up sex crimes against women and children; and railing against laws requiring doctors to give lifesaving care to babies who survive abortion attempts.
After nearly 150,000 people viewed the “listicle” and more than 25,000 liked it on Facebook, pro-abortion uproar denouncing the post spread across the Internet.
After the initial outcry, Buzzfeed opted to post a disclaimer on the article disavowing any connection to its authors or message.
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When asked by liberal website ThinkProgress why they allowed the piece to run, Buzzfeed spokeswoman Ashley McCollum said that the website was originally “conceived as an open platform, like Facebook and Twitter.” But given the anger over the criticism of Planned Parenthood, she said the site’s staff was “in the process of figuring out where and whether we should draw lines about what’s appropriate.”
On Thursday, it seems Buzzfeed made its decision. The site issued an updated Terms of Service banning “personal attacks” on “persons” or “groups.” The Planned Parenthood article was written before the TOS was changed, so they made the new rules retroactive. Then, without warning Personhood USA, they pulled the post down.
“Buzzfeed broke the mainstream media's unspoken code of conduct when they allowed thoughtful criticism of Planned Parenthood on their website,” said Josh Craddock, Personhood USA Staff writer and United Nations Liaison. “Sadly, Buzzfeed capitulated to the pro-choice lobby by shutting down the free press and censoring speech that would dare expose the abortion industry's horrifying misconduct.”
The controversial “listicle” is now available exclusively on the Personhood USA blog here.