South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, R, a possible Donald Trump-running mate, said it should be up to the states to decide their own abortion laws. According to some outlets, she also indicated she doesn’t support exceptions for rape and incest.
The Straight Arrow News Media Miss™ tool shows conservative media isn’t covering Noem’s comments, and liberal outlets are framing the story in a variety of ways.
The reporting is based on comments Noem made on CNN’s “State of the Union” in response to a question about South Dakota’s trigger law. The law went into effect in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. The law does not include exceptions for rape and incest. However, it does have an exception to save the life of the mother.
“I’m pro-life and we have a law that says there’s an exception for the life of the mother and I just don’t believe that a tragedy should perpetuate another tragedy,” Noem said Sunday, April 21. “I believe in taking care of mothers that are in a crisis situation and that we should be walking alongside them, giving them all the information and the best information they can make before they have to be put in a situation where an abortion is the only option that they have.”
The Media Landscape indicates that three-quarters of the outlets covering Noem’s comments are left-leaning, while one-fourth are considered center. No right-leaning outlets are covering the story.
The Hill, a center outlet, had two articles on Noem’s comments. One article was a straightforward outline of what she said on CNN. The other headline read: “Trump VP hopeful Noem opposes exceptions for rape, incest in abortion ban.”
“Pressed by Bash on her own beliefs, Noem said she is ‘pro-life’ and does not support exceptions for rape or incest,” The Hill article said. However, Noem never said that exactly.
She said she believes in taking care of mothers who are in a crisis situation. Noem also said mothers should receive information “before they have to be put in a situation where an abortion is the only option that they have.”
Politico, a left-leaning outlet, said Noem deflected questions about abortion. The outlet pointed out that Noem said, “I think that every state is going to look different.”
Straight Arrow News strives to provide unbiased, fact-based news in addition to offering a comprehensive look at how the media is covering stories that matter most. Learn more about the Media Miss™ tool and decide for yourself.
