How could a man who is suspected of killing thousands of babies go unrecognized in Hollywood and the news media?
It’s a question Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld and hosts of Fox News’ “The Five” debated as a new film project seeks to tell the real-life story of convicted murderer Kermit Gosnell.
“This is a story I think that we as Americans need to face up to and to witness,” Perino said.
Gutfeld added:
The thing is, I mean, it is a brutal topic. But so is Idi Amin, so is Rwanda, so is the Holocaust. Hollywood has made movies that involved all of those topics. The reason why they don’t do this one is not because the evil is so grotesque. It’s that it’s too close to a moral choice they’ve made. That’s what it’s about. It’s not that like, ah it’s so hard to do something on this man who butchered babies. It’s because it’s too close to the pro-choice mindset.
>>> WATCH: Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld Sound Off on Gosnell
Filmmakers Phelim McAleer, Ann McElhinney and Magdalena Segieda are raising money for a movie, “Gosnell,” to shed light on the Philadelphia abortionist who was found guilty of three counts of murder and one count of manslaughter last year. With two weeks left to meet their $2.1 million goal, they’ve raised more than 70 percent from more than 15,000 funders on Indiegogo.
“Gosnell killed more people then Gary Ridgway … the Zodiac Killer and Ted Bundy, combined. In a 30-year killing spree it is thought he killed many thousands of babies,” McElhinney stated in the crowd-funding video.
Gosnell was on trial for murder at the same time as Jodi Arias, and while she became a household name, few recognize him. In fact, their convictions were less than a week a part; Jodi Arias was convicted of first-degree murder on May 8, 2013 and Kermit Gosnell was convicted on three counts of first-degree murder and one count of involuntary manslaughter on May 13, 2013.
>>> Check Out: Jody Arias vs. Kermit Gosnell: You’ve Probably Heard of One, Why Not the Other?
Fox News was one of the few news outlets that covered the entire trial, as well as interviewed witnesses. After the trial, Fox News polled viewers, asking “why they though the Gosnell case received relatively little attention from the national press.”
“The most common answer: Bias. Forty-one percent of voters think the lack of coverage is because there’s a pro-abortion rights bias in the news media,” the network reported.
Congress also reacted to the lack of coverage. More than 70 members of Congress signed letters to TV news executives voicing displeasure with the lack of coverage. They urged journalists to report the story.
McAleer witnessed this lack of coverage firsthand. He stumbled into the Gosnell courtroom and found it devoid of journalists.
Speaking at Heritage this month, McAleer explained why he and his team decided to take on this project: “We realized the one thing that kept us awake at night … was the Gosnell case.”
>>> Read More: Filmmaker on Why Media Didn’t Cover Gosnell Case: ‘It Asks Too Many Awkward Questions’