Can you see the bias in headlines about Massachusetts’ new abortion law?
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀: Previously, abortions in Massachusetts performed after 24 weeks were allowed, but only under these conditions:
- preserving the patient’s life
- preserving the patient’s physical or mental health
- a lethal fetal anomaly
- a grave fetal diagnosis that indicates that the fetus is incompatible with life outside the womb.
A new law signed Monday removed all those stipulations. Massachusetts now allows abortions after 24 weeks to be performed “based upon the professional judgement of the physician.”
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: If you only read headlines from right-wing outlets that say Massachusetts now “allows abortions up until birth,” you may miss that abortions after 24 weeks require physician judgement.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗳𝘁: If you only read headlines from left-wing outlets that say the state “expanded” or “strengthened” abortion access, you may miss that the law removed the four specific conditions under which abortion is allowable after 24 weeks.
What would be more 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀?
- 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 24 𝘞𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘗𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘑𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵
- 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 24 𝘞𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴
- 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 24 𝘞𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴
- 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘓𝘢𝘸 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘴 𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘵-24-𝘞𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘑𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵
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Julie Mastrine is the Director of Communications and Bias Ratings at AllSides. She has a Lean Right bias.
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