The remaining publications have found their moment. Readers outraged over the erosion of abortion rights across the United States seemed to be seeking outlets that match their reactions and provide updates and analysis as well as practical information on what new legislation means for their state, how to help other women or even how to obtain an abortion themselves.
Alexandra Smith, the audience director of The 19th, which was founded in 2020, said growth in traffic had been “exponential.” She said an increase in search traffic had continued well after the June 24 court decision, with readers now looking for information on how the decision could impact access to Plan B and IUDs. They were also looking to read about the impacts on other civil rights, such as marriage equality.
“We didn’t launch with a focus on just providing the daily news updates, because so many other sources already have that covered,” she said. “So we see people looking for this context, looking for implications for other parts of their lives and that’s kind of the niche we’ve been able to fill.”
The 19th’s content is free to readers and available to other publications that want to republish it.
Priyanka Mantha, a spokeswoman for New York magazine, said The Cut had increased coverage of abortion in anticipation of the Dobbs decision, including putting together the cover story for the May 23 issue: “This Magazine Can Help You Get an Abortion,” which offers a guide for access to abortion, legal help and aid. Ms. Mantha said traffic to abortion rights coverage at The Cut had sharply increased in June, though engagement dipped in July.
Jezebel has focused on explainers and news updates and has spotlighted local news reporting. Jezebel saw the most traffic to its website all year in June, the month the Supreme Court handed down its decision, according to Mark Neschis, a spokesman for G/O Media, the owner of Jezebel.
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/14/business/media/abortion-womens-media.html
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