How abortion language evolves

For decades, journalists have worked to separate the language in news stories about abortion from the political rhetoric used by those fighting to criminalize or decriminalize the medical procedure.

The Associated Press Stylebook, which NPR follows, encourages journalists to use precise and neutral terms. Instead of "pro-choice," use "abortion rights." Instead of "pro-life," say "anti-abortion." NPR has reinforced these policies with its own recommendations. The idea behind this guidance has been to scrub the emotional and political arguments from the language and to describe the specific issues and policies without adopting the words of the people entrenched in the political battle.

The phrase "abortion clinic" is among the terms that AP Style and NPR standards editors have cautioned journalists to be careful