How hatred of abortion providers is propagated in social media: an investigation of YouTube videos

TL;DR

This study examines how anti-abortion YouTube videos spread hatred toward abortion providers, especially after the 2022 Dobbs decision.

Contribution

The study reveals how anti-abortion content on YouTube frames abortion providers negatively, potentially contributing to real-world harm.

Findings

Anti-abortion videos commonly depict providers as manipulative, villainous, uncaring, and immoral.

Post-Dobbs videos focus more on patient regret and provider harm to discourage abortion access.

YouTube content may contribute to real-world attacks on abortion clinics and providers.

Abstract

Since abortion was legalised in 1973, the United States anti-abortion movement has sought to eliminate abortion services. One strategy has been to foment hatred of abortion providers, which legitimises anti-abortion activists’ attacks on providers and facilities, thereby dissuading pregnant people from seeking abortions and hindering providers’ willingness to offer services. After the 2022 Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, these attacks escalated. The goal of our study was to examine a social media platform, YouTube, to identify the categories of videos promulgated by the anti-abortion movement and to investigate how these videos might be propagating hatred of providers. We also sought to discern differences post-Dobbs. Using three search terms – “pro-life,” “abortionist” and “abortion providers” – we developed a sample of 291 YouTube videos with high viewership, of which 217 had content about providers or patients. Videos took numerous forms, including debates, testimonials and undercover investigations. We identified four major dimensions of abortion provider depictions, in order of frequency: manipulative (deceptive, greedy and biased), villainous (brutal murderers), uncaring (callously harming women) and immoral. Abortion facilities were characterised as “death camps” and abortions as “baby funerals.” Patients were reviled if they “celebrated” their abortions, but not if they were remorseful. Videos post-Dobbs seemed more geared to reducing demand by emphasising patient regret and provider harms. We concluded that despite YouTube content moderation, abortion providers were being maligned in videos, which potentially contributes to clinic attacks. To increase support for abortion providers, content creators may want to specifically extol providers’ contributions to public well-being.

Since abortion was legalised in 1973 through Roe v. Wade, the United States anti-abortion movement has tried to halt abortion services. One strategy has been to demonise abortion doctors. This could act as a deterrent for pregnant people, medical students, and current abortion doctors. Attacks on abortion doctors and clinics have increased since the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturned the right to abortion in the US. We examined videos created by the anti-abortion movement on a social media platform, YouTube. We wanted to identify different types of videos and to assess how these videos might be contributing to the hatred of abortion doctors. We were also interested in learning if there were any changes to the types of videos after the 2022 decision. Our final sample was 291 YouTube videos, of which 217 specifically discussed doctors or patients. Videos took many forms, including debates, patient and professional testimonials, and undercover investigations. We found that abortion providers were being portrayed in anti-abortion videos in four major ways. These were: (1) manipulative (deceptive, greedy and biased), (2) villainous (brutal murderers), (3) uncaring (harming women) and (4) immoral. Abortion facilities were called “death camps” and abortions “baby funerals.” Patients were mocked by anti-abortion groups if they “celebrated” their abortions, but not if they were regretful afterwards. Our findings suggest that videos after the 2022 decision aimed to reduce demand by emphasising patient regret and how doctors were hurting pregnant people. We concluded that anti-abortion videos on YouTube did indeed contribute to hatred of abortion doctors. This could have many negative consequences.

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