IVG, “leading cause of death in the world”?
This is what CNews said on Sunday, comparing the number of voluntary terminations of pregnancies to the number of deaths from cancer and tobacco.
This sequence was broadcast in his program “En quest d’esprit”, devoted more broadly to the subject of abortion, while the inclusion of the right to abortion in the Constitution will be discussed.
The sequence was broadcast live on Sunday at midday.
After mentioning that abortion was the "leading cause of death in the world", CNews presenter Aymeric Pourbaix mentions the number of "73 million in 2022" (without mentioning what it is), "i.e. 52% deaths.”
The infographic broadcast on the screen at the same time lists “abortion” at the top of the “causes of mortality in the world”.
I wanted to check if the CNews capture on abortion that is circulating is true.
She is.
pic.twitter.com/b7KIbkW8w5
— Kevin Boucher (@kevboucher) February 26, 2024
This passage, isolated and shared on social networks, is not without controversy.
And for good reason: in this way, CNews conflates the voluntary termination of pregnancy and the death of people.
“We are not talking about women who could die from clandestine abortions, but about embryos,” denounces Rose Lamy, behind the Instagram account @Preparez_vous_pour_la_bagarre.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Rose Lamy Get ready for the fight (@preparez_vous_pour_la_bagarre)
The political class reacted strongly.
“CNews continues further into the abject,” denounced the leader of the rebellious deputies Mathilde Panot on she continued, announcing that she would seize the Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (Arcom) on behalf of the rebellious group in the National Assembly.
The communist senator from Paris, Ian Brossat, had earlier also announced that he would seize Arcom.
CNEWS always further into the abject.
As a reminder, the offense of obstructing #abortion is criminally punishable in France.
With @FiAssemblee, we immediately seize the Arcom.
CNews must be sanctioned and the right to abortion guaranteed in the Constitution!
pic.twitter.com/EAENVVOwM6
— Mathilde Panot (@MathildePanot) February 26, 2024
The deputy for Vienne, president of the Law Commission, also denounced this passage.
“For all those who wonder why it is necessary to constitutionalize abortion to definitively protect it.
That's why !
» reacted Sacha Houlié on
The news channel, owned by conservative billionaire Vincent Bolloré, is widely criticized for its positions or bias.
In mid-February, the Council of State urged Arcom to better control the channel, encouraging it to “take into account the diversity of currents of thought and opinions represented by all the participants in the programs broadcast, including including columnists, hosts and guests, and not just the speaking time of political figures.”
Contacted by Le Parisien, Arcom confirms it has been seized.
“We are going to investigate the sequence that was reported to us,” she specifies.
The replay of the show was no longer available this Monday afternoon from CNews.
However, it was still available on the Europe 1 website, where the program is broadcast simultaneously, and without images.