Justifying the Necessity of Anti-Abortion Legislation: An Exploratory Analysis of Moral Panic Style in American Pro-Life Advocacy and Media Discourses

Since the 1980s, abortion has been “labeled a source of great and bitter political conflict” (Gusfield, 1981). After Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the discourse surrounding it reached a point where the U.S. debated if a fetus should receive personhood (Zernike, 2024). Consequentially, the broadening of the rights of “unborn babies” (definition of the fetus according to the Louisiana Supreme Court cited in the NYT) limits those of pregnant women. This article aims to explore the working hypothesis that U.S. pro-life advocacy groups and media employed elements of a moral panic style in the period before the Supreme Court Dobbs hearing. The study analyzes the discourse of two right-wing advocacy agencies (Texas Right to Life and Texas Values) and one mainstream satellite media outlet (Fox News).