Best of AP — First Winner

Latest

AP multiformat pair gains access to Midwest abortion clinics, documents one woman’s procedure

At left, Monica Eberhart speaks on her phone in Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 25,.2022. Before her recent abortion she said, “I have to get it done, I can’t really wait. … I absolutely cannot afford another baby, whether that be financially or mentally.” About 10 weeks pregnant, Eberhart had to travel to Indianapolis for the abortion after Ohio imposed a ban on abortions once fetal heart activity could be detected. At right, Interstate 70 in Richmond, Ind., the route route Eberhart traveled from Dayton, Ohio to Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Patrick Orsagos, File)
combo-eberhart-indiana_2000.jpg

Two of the most challenging aspects of covering the ongoing abortion story in the U.S. are getting inside abortion clinics and telling the stories of women who have decided to end their pregnancies. So it was significant when two AP journalists gained exclusive access to a pair of abortion clinics — and to a woman who allowed them to follow her through the entire abortion process.

Since the Supreme Court’s June decision overturning Roe v. Wade,AP medical writer Lindsey Tanner has sought unique stories about new abortion restrictions and how they affect patients. Tanner,who has been covering abortion for years,was working on a different story when she connected with a clinic manager several months before the ruling. After the Supreme Court ruling,she reached out again to her sources,discovering a timely situation: a clinic in Ohio that was counseling patients,then sending them to a sister clinic in Indianapolis for abortions. The arrangement is temporary,because Indiana is slated to add more abortion restrictions on Sept. 15. But it offered a window into how women across the U.S. are navigating a patchwork of ever-changing state laws.

Tanner worked with the clinic staff to let her and video journalist Patrick Orsagos see both clinics in operation. Their hope: to find one woman willing to fully share her story. They found her in Monica Eberhart,who agreed to let Orsagos record video — from her early morning routine at home to,crucially, the clinic room during her abortion.

The AP duo worked closely to tell the woman’s story with sensitivity and candor. They even prepared her for possible blowback online. Orsagos tastefully recorded the abortion itself and worked with AP editors to craft a story that allowed viewers to see the procedure without being graphic or exploitative. He and a freelance photographer Jay LaPrete also returned to Eberhart’s home a few weeks later to get her thoughts on undergoing the procedure.

Tanner’s story was equally sensitive,weaving together Eberhart’s tale with the stories of other women who had been in the clinic. They included a nurse and a retail worker who each got pregnant when birth control failed,a factory worker certain she would go to hell for having an abortion, and a high school honors student whose mom revealed that she had aborted pregnancies decades ago.

Combo 2000 i
At left, Interstate 70 in New Paris, Ohio, the route Monica Eberhart traveled from Indianapolis after receiving abortion care. At right, Eberhart stands outside her home in Columbus, Ohio, August 25, 2022. Reflection on the abortion, she said she feels an overwhelming sense of relief — that she was able to find a clinic to give her the care she wanted, and that the fast-closing window for abortion had remained open long enough. “I just want to do what’s right for my body and my life,” she said. – AP Photos / PATRICK ORSAGOS (LEFT); JAY LAPRETE

The resulting package drew attention and performed well on social media: The video had more than 616,000 views on Facebook and another 52,000 views on Twitter.

For access and reporting that bought a rare and timely perspective to the issue of abortion, Tanner and Orsagos earn AP’s Best of the Week — First Winner honors.

Visit AP.org to request a trial subscription to AP’s video,photo and text services.

For breaking news, visit apnews.com.

00 2000 power of facts footer
Contact us
FOLLOW AP