Ep. 49: Shifting Media Representations of Abortion (Part II)
Added 2018-09-12 14:55:00 +0000 UTCIn the mid-1990s there was a rhetorical and cultural shift on the issue of abortion, namely the result of anti-abortion activists successfully introducing the term "partial birth abortion" into both the media and cultural lexicon.
Major Democrats conceded the language, along with the moral high ground, to the extremist right-wing. They hammered home the message that abortion should be "safe, legal, and rare" - signaling that abortion was something to be ashamed of, a barely tolerable abomination.
Eventually, avoiding the issue – largely seen as legally settled – became the preferred tactic of liberal Democrats. But what resulted was a long-term sacrificing of the moral framework surrounding reproductive rights and justice, leading to the place we are now: dozens of state laws effectively preventing access to abortion in large sections of the country and Roe v. Wade under real threat for the first time in 50 years.
In this two-part episode, we explore the history of how popular culture and the news have framed the issue of abortion, from the “othering” of those who have abortions to mainstream press outlets adopting terms wholly invented by anti-abortion operatives.
You can find Part I here.
This week, we speak with Cait Vaughan of Maine Family Planning.
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Guest
Cait Vaughan is a community organizer with Maine Family Planning, an independent abortion care provider.
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Show Notes
Hannah Armitage | July 2010 | Australasian Journal of American Studies
The Future Is ‘Radical Reproductive Justice’
Regina Mahone | November 28, 2017 | Rewire News
Abortion Is a Common Experience for U.S. Women, Despite Dramatic Declines in Rates
Guttmacher Institute | October 19, 2017
Women who choose abortion are certain of the decision
Kathryn Doyle | October 13, 2016 | Reuters
Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients in 2014 and Changes Since 2008
Guttmacher Institute | May 2016
Reproductive Justice, Not Just Rights
Dorothy Roberts | Fall 2015 | Dissent
Ayanna Banks Harris & Monica Simpson | May 11, 2014 | Truthout
Abortion Restrictions Soar, Media Coverage Sags
Julie Hollar | February 2014 | FAIR
Hillary Clinton must reject the stigma that abortion should be legal but 'rare'
Jessica Valenti | July 9, 2014 | The Guardian
Safe, Legal, and Rare: The Democrats’ Evolving Stance on Abortion
Lainey Newman | January 11, 2018 | Harvard Political Review
Clinton Orders Reversal of Abortion Restrictions Left By Reagan and Bush
Robin Toner | January 23, 1993 | The New York Times
Campaign Issues; Clinton and Gore Shifted on Abortion
Felicity Barringer | July 20, 1992 | The New York Times
High Court Upholds Curb on Abortion
Robert Barnes | April 19, 2007 | The Washington Post
Gonzales v. Carhart, Opinion of the Court
Justice Anthony Kennedy et al. | April 18, 2007 | Supreme Court of the United States
ANSIRH | 2010-2015
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Transcript
For a full transcript of this episode, go here.
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