Media Coverage Differed in Killing of Abortion Doctor, Army Recruiter

Call it a tale of two murders: one involving an abortion doctor that captured days of media attention and another involving an Army recruiter that has barely registered a blip on most news radar screens.

The killing of abortion doctor George Tiller, who was fatally shot in his Kansas church Sunday morning, drew a flood of denunciations from President Obama along with liberal and conservative lawmakers and abortion rights groups and abortion foes. The murder occupied front pages and led news broadcasts for nearly three days.

Attorney General Eric Holder ordered the U.S. Marshals' service to "increase security for a number of individuals and facilities" although officials provided no specifics.

By contrast, the murder of Army Pvt. William Long and the wounding of Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula outside a recruiting center in Little Rock, Ark., has drawn relatively scant coverage despite the background of the suspected shooter: he was a convert to Islam who police say probably had "political and religious motives for the attack."

Holder has not called for a security increase at Army recruiting centers around the country even though they along with military facilities have been targeted for attack numerous times over the last five years.

As of Wednesday, no statements have been released from Obama, Holder, White House officials, Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Obama introduced his nominee to be Army secretary Tuesday without mentioning the attack on army soldiers inside the U.S. No condemnation. No condolences to the family of Long.

Conservative media analyst Brent Bozell said the difference in responses comes down to politics.

"Politics dictated that they be outspoken on the murder of Dr. 'Killer' Tiller, but be silent on the murder" of Long, he said, explaining that a long-held double standard by the media renders the latter unremarkable.

Bozell said the double standard rears its head when an abortion foe is involved in a deplorable act, leading to censure of the anti-abortion movement.

"But when you have things such as the Unabomber killing people for environmental reasons, no one in the press ever went to anyone in the environmental community asking them if they needed to apologize or reflect on their words and their actions."