Kate Smith, the former CBS News reporter covering abortion, fueled a flare-up over liberal media bias Monday by announcing that she has gone to work for Planned Parenthood.
“Thrilled to be joining Planned Parenthood full-time on this exciting new project. Much, much more to come. Stay tuned!” tweeted Ms. Smith.
She listed her new job title as senior director for news content at Planned Parenthood for America, the nation’s largest abortion provider and a staunch foe of restrictions on abortion access.
The announcement drew congratulations from well-wishers along with jabs at the objectivity of her work product while covering the contentious social issue at CBS.
“I remember getting notes from several reporters upset with me saying Kate Smith has been nothing but a propagandist for the abortion industry at CBS and now this,” tweeted conservative radio host Erick Erickson, former CEO of RedState.
Other broadsides included “Congrats on being more honest about what you always were” and “What’s the difference between this and what you did at CBS?”
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Another account tweeted: “I’m pro choice, always have been. But this is quite the revolving door pipeline. I can’t imagine why faith and public trust in the the media and journalism industry is rock bottom. This makes me truly queasy.”
In April 2020, National Review writer Alexandra DeSanctis blasted Ms. Smith as “Planned Parenthood’s ambassador to CBS, posing as a reporter and constructing articles that more closely resemble press releases for the nation’s most powerful abortion-rights advocacy groups.”
After leaving her job at CBS News in July, Ms. Smith tweeted that she could finally be “candid about my own opinions on reproductive rights.”
“Now that I’m not a reporter I can be candid about my own opinions on reproductive rights. I’ll say this: With or without Roe v Wade access to abortion is disappearing across the South and Midwest for low income women. And it’s happening more or less under the radar,” she said.
The conservative Media Research Center responded to her departure by declaring “Good-bye and good riddance!”
“The ostensibly neutral journalist had previously described her beat on her Twitter profile as ‘covering abortion access,’ but based on her coverage, we all knew what that meant — she wanted MORE access to abortion,” said MRC NewsBusters writer Alexa Coombs.
 personal news 
— Kate Smith (@byKateSmith) April 25, 2022
Thrilled to be joining Planned Parenthood full-time on this exciting new project. Much, much more to come. Stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/Xwv5eue0FH
Those cheering the move included Brandon Richards, communications director of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California.
“Huge congrats Kate !!!” he tweeted in all capital letters. “This is so awesome and welcome to the PP team!”
Melanie Roussell Newman, Planned Parenthood senior vice president, tweeted: “So excited about this news, and so proud to welcome @byKateSmith to the @PPFA team!”
Ms. Smith had previously worked for Bloomberg News, Yahoo News, Financial Times and Sydney Morning Herald, according to her Muck Rack bio.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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