My body, my voice: Analyzing news sources in the Roe v. Wade Reversal

In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court dissolved federal protection for a woman’s right to an abortion and gave each individual state control over abortion laws. The ruling caused a media frenzy, with news outlets across the United States and the world reporting on the ground-breaking decision. The present study employs a textual analysis of this news coverage in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, paying special attention to the people interviewed as news sources. News sources were placed into categories based on occupation and gender and the frequency by which the sources were cited was recorded. Findings suggest that while many of the news sources were women, male politicians’ voices still dominate the narrative of women’s reproductive rights in the United States. Practical implications for journalism, policy and law are discussed as are pathways for future research.