Abortion Depictions on TV

A new study conducted with Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health at UCSF finds that accurate portrayals of abortion in storylines on A Million Little Things (ABC), Better Things (FX), and Station 19 (ABC) fostered greater understanding of abortion access, prevalence, and safety, and even inspired some to take actions in support of reproductive rights.

This research highlights the critical role entertainment media play in countering medical misinformation about abortion, even in a post-Dobbs world.

Read the report.

A Deeper Dive
Grey's Anatomy Reddit Study

Our researchers are analyzing Reddit comments following a post-Dobbs episode of Grey’s Anatomy, “When I Get to the Border," which aired in November 2022. In this episode, a woman experiencing a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy is unable to receive care in her home state of Idaho. We are examining audience responses to this storyline, including sentiment and key themes.

Findings will be released in the spring of 2025.

Why Abortion on TV Needs More Choices

Since the dawn of television, there have been over 400 plotlines about abortion, but this common medical procedure is often overdramatized and inaccurately depicted on TV. If you work in entertainment and want to write about abortion accurately, contact the Norman Lear Center's Hollywood, Health & Society program.
The Norman Lear Center's Media Impact Project researches how entertainment and news influence our thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and actions. We work with researchers, the film and TV industry, nonprofits, and news organizations, and share our research with the public. We are part of the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.