Reproductive Healthcare in Cablecast News Media After the Dobbs V. Jackson Decision

Cablecast news media coverage can influence public perception of socially important issues, including reproductive healthcare access. Our goal in this study was to compare how Democratic-versus-Republican aligned news media networks covered the Dobbs v. Jackson decision in the month following the decision. We conducted a content analysis of N = 94 transcripts from a total of eight cablecast news programs and coded for language use and guest characteristics. MSNBC used the words healthcare, pregnant person, rape, and incest more often than Fox News, and Fox News used the words unborn and pro-life more often. MSNBC featured more women as guest experts than Fox News.