Abortion is an emotive subject, it often quickly divides people who feel forced to take a 'pro-life' or 'pro-choice' stance. It's making headlines at present because Channel 4 has decided to air and advert by an organisation that works in the area of "sexual and reproductive health", apparently the advert will include abortion services.
Consumer Driven - or Advertising Led?
Such services have been advertised in lower key ways for some time now, but the move to mainstream broadcast media, opens up a new area of debate. The reality is that such media play an important part in shaping people's views and opinions - the recent political leadership debates in the run up to the election provide a timely example of how popular opinion can be changed by a few minutes air time.
Welcome to the New Norm
One of the most powerful effects of exposure through television is the establishing of new 'norms'. People see it on TV and accept that, it must be OK, "everyone" is doing it. It's the reason that companies run advertising campaigns, few if any people immediately jump up and rush off to buy a product after watching a TV advert, the effect is more subtle than that. But none the less such adverts do influence people's behaviour.
(Why else would government run expensive campaigns warning us not to drink and drive, or extolling the risks of benefit fraud - if not to convince us that responsible behaviour is the norm, and so we'd better conform?)
Does Advertising Work?
Advertising plays a powerful role in shaping our consumer economy, just ask Unilever, Nestle, Kelloggs, Asda, Tesco etc who spend millions on advertising each year. So it's not unreasonable to assume that any advert offering abortion services will do two things:
1) It will send the message that abortions are 'normal'.
2) Consequently it will effectively present abortions as a consumer choice.
Such advertising will take the UK (barring Northern Ireland) to a new low point in it's commercial and moral life.
Some Questions to Ponder:
- Is it right that Channel 4 earns revenue from advertising such services?
- Is it acceptable to have such ad's shown on TV, if it will help to normalise people's views on abortion?
- Is it right to call being pro-abortion 'pro-choice' as it does not take into account both of the people involved directly in the process. (Mother and Baby?)
Time to Pray and to Act!
If you, like me feel that to run this advert is wrong, and the thin end of a commercially dubious wedge, then can I encourage you to act and to PRAY.
1) Write to your MP. - "Write to them" link here
2) Complain to the ASA - Link here - Nb in theory you can only complain after the ad has run
3) Sign the on line petition against the advert
4) Write to Channel 4 and ask them to pull the advert.
5) Consider how you can support (£££+ prayer!) those charities that offer practical support as an alternative to abortion:
PS For those that are interested in Pro-Life issues SPUC has a useful blog post, analysing the new UK cabinet and the respective ministers likely position on these important issues. It's great resource to help your praying and campaigning.
Their help line details can be found here
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