Media late to coverage of abortion doctor's trial

• Kermit Gosnell is charged with causing the deaths of a patient and seven babies
• Courtroom seating reserved for 40 reporters%3B two show up
• After USA TODAY column%2C media outlets boost coverage

Suddenly, the trial of Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell is all over the news.

Gosnell is charged with causing the deaths of a patient and seven babies allegedly born alive as well as performing illegal late-term abortions. Testimony last week included grisly details of infant beheadings and baby feet stored in jars. Eight former employees of his West Philly clinic have been charged in connection with the case, and three have pleaded guilty to third-degree murder. In an opinion column in Thursday's USA TODAY, contributor Kirsten Powers chastised major media outlets for ignoring the trial, which began March 18.

That changed quickly. The Washington Post reported Friday that it will start covering the trial. Daily Beast reporter Megan McArdle acknowledges she should have covered it but "didn't want to think about" the crimes he was charged with. The case has been mentioned in Time, on CNN, in TheAtlantic and all over the Web on blogs and Twitter.

Sensational details in the case were not unexpected. J.D. Mullane, a columnist for Pennsylvania's Bucks CountyCourier Times wrote in a story posted Sunday on PhillyBurbs.com that the court staff had set aside three rows of seats to accommodate up to 40 reporters Thursday, when some key witnesses were scheduled to testify. Only one reporter — Mullane — sat in the reserved seating. Mullane said a New York Times reporter showed up later that afternoon and stayed for a few minutes.

Much of the recent commentary was sparked by Powers' column, which said a search for news stories found no news shows on the three major national television networks had mentioned the Gosnell trial. "This should be on every news show and front page," wrote Powers, a Fox News political analyst and columnist for The Daily Beast. (USA TODAY has published several stories about the trial online, including two from the Associated Press and two from TheNews Journal in Wilmington Del., a Gannett paper.)

Some of the responses over the weekend defended media coverage against critics who suggested a conspiracy of silence. "The Gosnell story wasn't blacked out," Josh Dzieza of TheDaily Beast wrote. He linked to stories published as far back as 2011, when Gosnell was charged with performing illegal late-term abortions.

Mollie Hemingway, who writes about religion and the media in a blog called "Get Religion," said the USA TODAY column brought to the forefront something religious groups, conservatives and abortion opponents had talked about for months. "But they have a limited audience," she says. Powers' column "revealed to a whole new audience what the media had been hiding from them."

Hemingway cautions against conspiracy theories. But, she says, journalists need to figure out how to avoid repeating similar mistakes.

"We have a lot of catchup to do," she says. We have to cover this (trial) well, cover it prominently, and we have to restore trust with our readers."