Abortion! Abortion! Read All About It!: News Coverage of Abortion After the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Decision

Abstract

On June 24, 2022, the right to an abortion was effectively overturned in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (Dobbs). This case grapples with a Mississippi law that criminalizes abortion after the fetus reaches fifteen weeks, which was illegal under Roe v. Wade (Roe). This case reached the Supreme Court, giving the Court the opportunity to overrule Roe and deem the Mississippi law newly constitutional. This study examines patterns about abortion in 128 articles in The New York Times and Washington Post, one week after the passage of Dobbs. This study’s main findings build upon and challenge scholars’ pre-Dobbs patterns: abortion is still framed as a polarizing issue, mostly white men and white women are covered, and the language is more accurate and objective than scholars previously found, with some new terms. The results of these patterns are that the public still receives a warped image of abortion, and women of color–who abortion legislation impacts the most–are still erased from the narrative. This builds upon previous research, suggesting that these patterns will have similar impacts post-Dobbs as they did pre-Dobbs. Thus, there is still significant progress to be made to ensure that the public feels well-informed, empowered, and validated.