The Associated Press Stylebook now directs writers away from using the term “pregnancy resources center” with claims that the term is “misleading.”
The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook is the top tool for effective written communication used by students, teachers, writers, and professionals. The writing style guidelines from AP date to the early 1950s, with regular updates and changes to enhance engagement and clarity for readers.
However, recent changes and rules from AP are nothing short of bias attacks against the pro-life movement and pregnancy help.
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In 2022, the AP tweeted, “Use the modifiers anti-abortion or abortion-rights; don't use pro-life.”
In early February 2023, the AP took the abortion topic further and added, “Avoid potentially misleading terms such as pregnancy resource centers or pregnancy counseling centers.”
Instead, writers are now told to use “anti-abortion centers” or “anti-abortion counseling centers.”
These new guidelines coincide with the terminology used by those who profit from Big Abortion to villainize pro-lifers. By quashing the language of pregnancy resource centers, the AP is bolstering Big Abortion and doing a disservice to its users and readers.
“The pro-abortion bias and manipulation of language by the media is nothing new for the pro-life world,” said Andrea Trudden, vice president of Communications and Marketing at Heartbeat International.
“Look at that term alone – ‘Pro-Life,’” Trudden said. “This is not approved by the Associated Press, but rather the negative phrase ‘Anti-Abortion Rights’ is advised.”
These latest changes regarding pregnancy help cannot be disguised as benefits to the reader’s understanding of context. The AP’s claim of the term “pregnancy resource center” being “potentially misleading” is unfounded and a clear attempt to misrepresent what pregnancy help really is.
“For those who actually work within the pregnancy help movement, we talk about it for what it is, pregnancy help,” said Trudden.
“We help pregnant women and families as they walk through an important time in their lives,” she said. “This should not be something put into scare quotes or qualified for anything more than it is - Organizations providing free care and support to women in need - period,” said Trudden.
Tweet This: The AP’s claim that “pregnancy resource center” being “potentially misleading” is unfounded and misrepresents what pregnancy help really is.
Trudden pointed out how the AP has a history of making ridiculous woke rules that end up being faulty in accuracy.
A recent example was in 2022 when they changed their guidance to exclude the word "woman” when talking about “pregnant people.”
“By attempting to be more inclusive, they ended up erasing an entire sex,” Trudden said.
Now the AP is erasing accuracy and truth with their guidance on pregnancy centers.
Writers should now look at the AP Stylebook guidelines with discretion and an understanding of its clear prejudice against pregnancy help.
Editor’s note: Heartbeat International manages Pregnancy Help News.
