Ambria Hammel/CATHOLIC SUN

Teresa Tomeo, a veteran journalists, speaks with pro-life leaders from parishes across the Phoenix Diocese Aug. 19 at the Diocesan Pastoral Center.

Veteran journalist Tomeo rallies
pro-life leaders across the diocese

Representatives from more than 35 parishes and pro-life organizations gathered Aug. 19 at the Diocesan Pastoral Center for the annual respect life luncheon and to hear a keynote address by veteran journalist Teresa Tomeo.

Tomeo told the crowd of her 20-year career as a radio and TV reporter and anchorwoman in Detroit, describing herself as a “radical feminist, pro-choice nut case.”

“I was not always in your corner,” Tomeo said. “It was people like you who gave me the facts. Be hopeful, because if I can change, anybody can change.”

Disillusioned by what she saw as increasing violence, liberal bias and sensationalism, Tomeo left the secular media in 2000 and became a Catholic talk-show host, author and speaker.

She travels the country, training pro-life leaders, such as those gathered at the Aug. 19 luncheon, on how to deal with the media and get their message across.

She quoted statistics from studies over the years that paint the large majority of both broadcast and print-media journalists as left-of-center, pro-abortion and largely agnostic.

“You should be able to get your assignment and put your personal opinion aside,” Tomeo said. Personal objectivity doesn’t exist, she said, and if anybody says it does, “they are lying… you bring your own ideas baggage and life experience to the job.”

Tomeo said pro-lifers should pray for journalists’ hearts to be softened and that their eyes would be opened.

“Be kind to them, even if you want to rip their heads off,” she said. “A lot of them are stressed out.”

Patience and persistence as well as sending out press releases a month in advance, followed up by phone calls, will pay off, Tomeo said.

“You have to know what you’re talking about before you go on the air, and your messages have to be in sync,” Tomeo said. “You have to be consistent and always go back to your key message.”

Ron Johnson, executive director of the Arizona Catholic Conference, the policy arm of the four bishops of Arizona, spoke to the crowd about the various legislative successes scored by the pro-life movement. Arizona, he said, became the first state to opt out of abortion coverage in the health care legislation passed by Congress last spring.

And although there was no media coverage of it, Arizona also banned embryonic research during the last legislative session.

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted gave three bits of advice to the pro-life leaders: Don’t be nice, don’t be discouraged, and pray for your enemies.

Religion is supposed to be nice, according to the media, but “nice is often a veil of lies, a dull blade that can’t cut through to the truth,” he said.

Quoting St. Paul’s words to Timothy, Bishop Olmsted reminded the crowd of the importance of preaching the truth, whether convenient or inconvenient.

“Love is not nice,” said Bishop Olmsted. “Love is best illustrated by Jesus on the cross -- He forgave all those that did this to Him.”