Study: Abortions on TV remain unrealistic — but 'Morning Show' treatment was nuanced

A new study finds most scripted TV shows are unrealistic when it comes to depictions of abortions, but applauds The Morning Show for "the first in-depth portrayal of self-managed abortion." Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon) pursues a story about a woman in Texas who helps people get abortion pills from Mexico. (Apple TV+)

Scripted television continues to be unrealistic when it comes to depictions of abortion, though there's some improvement, according to the annual Abortion Onscreen report released Tuesday by a research program on reproductive health based at the University of California San Francisco.

There was a slight decline in the number of abortion plotlines on TV in 2023, which researchers attribute not to "a lack of interest" but rather the lengthy writers' and actors' strikes.