Coding the Coverage: Analyzing Positive and Negative Media Coverage of Supreme Court Cases

Author: Athena Vishudanand

Field of Study: Political Science

Program Affiliation: Source Project Research Program

Faculty Mentors: Wendy Martinek

Easel: 36

Timeslot: Midday

Abstract: The media plays a crucial role in translating the legal jargon of Supreme Court decisions for public understanding. Prior scholarship demonstrates that separate news outlets will emphasize different aspects of the court’s decision and feature varying speakers, creating contrasting portrayals of the same decision. This study aims to further explore media variations of positive and negative coverage of Supreme Court decisions and its underlying motivations by focusing on articles and transcripts covering the decisions in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) and Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010). It uses original data coding, categorizing the typology of negative and positive word choice from content published within two weeks of each decision released by ABC News, CNN and FOX News. It is anticipated that left-leaning news sources will be more critical of the decisions while right-leaning news sources will be more supportive or neutral of the decisions.