A content analysis of reproductive health articles in Jezebel.com and Glamour.com

Abstract

This study explored health coverage by the popular women's websites Glamour.com and Jezebel.com from May through October 2012. In these months preceding the November 2012 U.S. election, the media frequently referenced "The War on Women," which the ACLU defines as actions and statements that aim to oppress women and threaten to restrict access to basic health care services. Content analysis was the method of investigation used in this study, including quantification of more than 30 health and reproductive health topics. These articles' (N = 889) calls to action (CTAs)--defined as statements encouraging individual or collective action--were analyzed to determine how frequently feminist-framed health activism was recommended. Lastly, a stratified subsample of articles (n = 220) was analyzed to see whether CTAs correlated with an increase in readers' social media sharing of these health articles. Because discussion of women's reproductive health topics, including abortion, is still relatively taboo in the U.S., the literature on media coverage of these subjects is limited. This thesis aimed to add to the literature relating to women's reproductive health in light of its role as a highly relevant topic in the U.S. political landscape.