List date(s) this work was published or aired.
10/20/2012
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Abortion is legal in America but in many places it is hard and getting harder. This story and an accompanying sidebar details restrictive policies in many states that make getting a legal procedure a hardship for women and particularly for low-income women. Just this year 17 states set new limits, and abortion numbers have fallen in several states with the most restrictive laws.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
I analyzed several reports on abortion from the Guttmacher Institute and the CDC, along with several years of department of health data on abortion prevalence and demographics that I requested from seven states.
Explain types of human sources used.
I interviewed six abortion doctors; four women from different states who had recent abortions; one woman unable to have an abortion because of her state’s restrictions; seven state departments of health representatives; two anti-abortion activists, three abortion rights activists, among others.
Results:
I participated in a live Interview on local public radio in Chicago, along with an analyst from the Guttmacher Institute, to discuss my story and current abortion restrictions and prospects for future limits.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
.A couple of abortion opponents emailed me to challenge some of my statements that they had misread.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Be prepared and willing to spend a lot of time seeking and examining documents; be persistent in pursuing reluctant sources and willing if necessary to grant them anonymity.