By Gudrun Schultz
CHICAGO, Illinois, February 14, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Illinois paper that said pro-life ads were “too graphic” to run has changed its decision, in a well-publicized victory for abortion opponents.
When Jill Stanek, a nurse and president of Right to Life of Will County, contacted the Herald News last month to purchase space for the ads, the paper rejected them. One of the ads shows a 3-D ultrasound photograph of the face of an unborn baby.
Joliet-based Herald News told CNS they reserve the right to reject any advertising for any reason. Stanek says an ad rep for the paper said the decision was made because the ads were “too graphic” and “we have to be careful,” in her blog report today.
Stanek received an email from the editor of the Herald News, Steve Vanisko, yesterday, saying that after re-examining the ads he would allow them to run in the paper.
In his email Vanisko denies that he ever stated the ads were too graphic, and says “If that was stated by a representative of this newspaper, it was done so in error.” (To view editor Steve Vanisko’s email: https://www.jillstanek.com/)
Stanek, however, stands by her original account, stating, “…his subordinate did relay to us that he/the advertising department originally rejected our ads because they considered them ‘too graphic.’ Our ‘local contact’ with the newspaper wrote down what the ad rep said verbatim.”
The Herald’s decision to back down on the issue demonstrates a growing influence of pro-life activism on the mainstream media. Vanisko emailed ABC News yesterday to let them know of the Herald’s decision. Supporters of Stanek who contacted the Herald in protest of the censorship reported that they also received copies of Vanisko’s email.
For previous LifeSiteNews coverage:
Illinois Newspaper Refuses Pro-life Sonogram Ads as “Too Graphic”https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/feb/06021006.html
To contact the Herald News:
300 Caterpillar Dr.
Joliet, IL 60436
815-729-6100
800-397-9397
To view the ads:
https://www.nrlc.org/onlinebrochures/Downloadables/Ads.htm