Posted on May 4, 2022
TV has brought the abortion debate home since the 1970s
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https://www.npr.org/2022/05/04/ [login to see] /abortion-debate-on-scripted-tv
As people across the United States try to envision a world without Roe v Wade, scripted TV shows have portrayed the impact of abortion on fictional characters.
Storylines that include abortion have increased a lot on TV in recent years. In 2021, ANSIRH (Advancing New Standards In Reproductive Health) tracked 47 plotlines that involved abortion over 42 shows including dramas like Hulu's Handmaid's Tale and NBC's This Is Us and comedies such as Hacks on HBO Max and Workin' Moms on Netflix. Five years ago, there were only 13 plotlines involving abortion.
"But, as any researcher will tell you, an increase in quantity doesn't necessarily mean an increase in quality," says Steph Herold, a researcher with ANSIRH.
The problem: stories about abortion often reach for the extremes rather than reality.
First, TV characters who get abortions are mostly white, wealthy and without children. "Kind of the exact opposite of the reality of who's getting abortions," she says. "Most people who have abortions are already parents. They're struggling to make ends meet. They're women of color." You can see a demographic breakdown as reported by the CDC here.
As people across the United States try to envision a world without Roe v Wade, scripted TV shows have portrayed the impact of abortion on fictional characters.
Storylines that include abortion have increased a lot on TV in recent years. In 2021, ANSIRH (Advancing New Standards In Reproductive Health) tracked 47 plotlines that involved abortion over 42 shows including dramas like Hulu's Handmaid's Tale and NBC's This Is Us and comedies such as Hacks on HBO Max and Workin' Moms on Netflix. Five years ago, there were only 13 plotlines involving abortion.
"But, as any researcher will tell you, an increase in quantity doesn't necessarily mean an increase in quality," says Steph Herold, a researcher with ANSIRH.
The problem: stories about abortion often reach for the extremes rather than reality.
First, TV characters who get abortions are mostly white, wealthy and without children. "Kind of the exact opposite of the reality of who's getting abortions," she says. "Most people who have abortions are already parents. They're struggling to make ends meet. They're women of color." You can see a demographic breakdown as reported by the CDC here.
TV has brought the abortion debate home since the 1970s
Posted from npr.org
Abortion
TV
American History
Posted 2 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."TV has the power to inform
In 2019, an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll found that, "Three-quarters of Americans say they want to keep in place the landmark Supreme Court ruling, Roe v. Wade, that made abortion legal in the United States, but a strong majority would like to see restrictions on abortion rights."
As NPR's Domenico Montanaro reported at the time, "What the survey found is a great deal of complexity — and sometimes contradiction among Americans — that goes well beyond the talking points of the loudest voices in the debate."
Exploring complexity, nuance and multiple viewpoints isn't necessarily a hallmark of scripted TV. But, says Herold, the medium has the power to inform.
"Most people don't know about abortion laws and restrictions in their states, and television and film can really address and challenge this information and misinformation and give audiences a glimpse into who gets abortions and what that experience is really like."
..."TV has the power to inform
In 2019, an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll found that, "Three-quarters of Americans say they want to keep in place the landmark Supreme Court ruling, Roe v. Wade, that made abortion legal in the United States, but a strong majority would like to see restrictions on abortion rights."
As NPR's Domenico Montanaro reported at the time, "What the survey found is a great deal of complexity — and sometimes contradiction among Americans — that goes well beyond the talking points of the loudest voices in the debate."
Exploring complexity, nuance and multiple viewpoints isn't necessarily a hallmark of scripted TV. But, says Herold, the medium has the power to inform.
"Most people don't know about abortion laws and restrictions in their states, and television and film can really address and challenge this information and misinformation and give audiences a glimpse into who gets abortions and what that experience is really like."
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