Months of planning, preparation put AP out front with unmatched coverage of SCOTUS abortion ruling

By Mark Sherman, Jessica Gresko, Jacquelyn Martin, Steve Helber, Gemunu Amarasinghe, J. Scott Applewhite, Andrew Harnik, Rick Gentilo, Dan Huff, Nathan Ellgren, Mike Pesoli, Kimberlee Kruesi, Lindsay Whitehurst, John Hanna, Matt Sedensky, David Goldman, Rogelio Solis, Rick Bowmer, Eric Gay, Alex Connor and Kevin Vineys

With extensive preparation ahead of the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the AP moved at lightning speed and revved up to cover the historic ruling comprehensively in all formats.

The long-awaited abortion decision required meticulous planning and smart execution to get the word out quickly and then deploy teams of AP journalists to capture reaction and the sweeping ramifications of the ruling.

Supreme Court reporters Mark Sherman and Jessica Gresko began their prep on the case shortly after December’s arguments,then built on those efforts in the months that followed. That work accelerated after a draft leaked in May. The result: When the court’s opinion came down Friday morning,Sherman and Gresko had the story out faster than competitors,all of whom received the opinion at the same time. And the results were virtually flawless — just one minute from a Flash on the wire to an Urgent, and two minutes to a full story.

That 1,200-word story had fresh photos attached from outside the court,where photographers Jacquelyn Martin,Steve Helber and Gemunu Amarasinghe fired off images of reaction by people on both sides of the abortion debate. Helber’s fast-filed photo of exhubant abortion opponents celebrating with a spray of bubbly,reminiscent of football fans winning a championship,told the story of decades of anticipation realized. Meanwhile, photographers Scott Applewhite and Andrew Harnik poised to capture reaction from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Joe Biden respectively.

AP 22175525561392 ss — Anti-abortion protesters react outside the Supreme Court in Washington, June 24, 2022, after the court ended constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years, a decision by its conservative majority to overturn the court’s landmark abortion cases. – AP Photo / Gemunu Amarasinghe

AP 22175545684392 ss — An abortion-rights activist wears tape reading “2nd Class Citizen” on their mouth as they protest outside the Supreme Court in Washington, June 24, 2022. – AP Photo / Jacquelyn Martin

AP 22175513452900 ss — Demonstrators protest for and against abortion rights outside the Supreme Court in Washington, June 24, 2022. – AP Photo / Jacquelyn Martin

AP 22175554973742 ss — Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., reacts to the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, June 24, 2022. – AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite

AP 22175607365633 ss biden — President Joe Biden speaks at the White House in Washington, June 24, 2022, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. – AP Photo / Andrew Harnik

AP 22176012951303 ss — Demonstrators display an inverted American flag outside the federal courthouse in Austin, Texas, June 24, 2022, after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade. – AP Photo / Eric Gay

AP 22175820375287 ss add — Demonstrators gather at the federal courthouse in Austin, Texas, following the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, June 24, 2022. – AP Photo / Eric Gay

AP 22176012941858 ss hanger — A person raises a clothes hanger as demonstrators march and gather near the Texas Capitol in Austin, June 24, 2022, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision ending constitutional protections for abortion. – AP Photo / Eric Gay

AP 22175550165124 ss — Abortion opponents react outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, June 24, 2022, after the court ended constitutional protections for abortion. – AP Photo / Steve Helber

AP 22175572105340 ss — Anti-abortion activist E.C. Smith of Canton, Miss., right, stands at the corner of the Jackson Women’s Health Organization clinic in Jackson, calling out to potential patients, while clinic escorts stand in the background on the facility’s property, telling incoming patients that the clinic is still open, moments after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, June 24, 2022. The clinic which was at the center of the Supreme Court decision, is the only facility that performs abortions in the Mississippi. – AP Photo / Rogelio V. Solis

AP 22175543295685 ss — Clinic escort Derenda Hancock, right, reacts to Coleman Boyd’s anti-abortion protest outside the Jackson Women’s Health Organization clinic in Jackson, Miss., moments before the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, June 24, 2022. The clinic which was at the center of the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. – AP Photo / Rogelio V. Solis

AP 22175822087480 ss — Surrounded by photographers, anti-abortion activist Coleman Boyd, right, calls out to patients entering the Jackson Women’s Health Organization clinic in Jackson, Miss., urging them to reconsider the procedure, moments after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade was issued, June 24, 2022. – AP Photo / Rogelio V. Solis

AP 22175777746524 ss — Raquel Juarez protests for abortion rights outside the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City, June 24, 2022. – AP Photo / Rick Bowmer

AP 22176123675782 ss — People attend an abortion-rights protest at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City, June 24, 2022. – AP Photo / Rick Bowmer

AP 22175560222866 ss — Abortion opponents react outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, June 24, 2022, after the court ruling ending constitutional protections for abortion. – AP Photo / Jacquelyn Martin

At the same time, the video team promptly moved an edit highlighting the political history of abortion legislation in the U.S.,and moments later, Sherman’s on-camera analysis of the decision. For live video,AP had four cameras up and running in Washington as cheers of celebration and cries of distress rose from the crowd outside the court,as well as live footage of reaction from the White House and Capitol Hill. In the end,video journalists Nathan Ellgren,Rick Gentilo, Dan Huff and Mike Pesoli delivered more than 12 hours of uninterrupted live coverage for clients and AP platforms.

A host of journalists also worked in advance with Central Desk deputies Sarah Rafi and Kim Johnson,and others,setting AP up to deliver impactful spot and enterprise stories from around the country.
Among them:
— Kim Kruesi,Lindsay Whitehurst and John Hanna, whose background reporting and source building set the stage to immediately explore the further fracturing of an already deep division between states, and the alarm among LGBTQ advocates who fear the ruling could someday allow a rollback of other legal protections, including gay marriage.
— Matt Sedensky and photographer David Goldman captured the emotion and experiences of a longtime anti-abortion activist in Mississippi.
— State Government/Democracy Editor Tom Verdin, Central Desk editor Andrea Thomas and graphic artist Kevin Vineys published an interactive map outlining the new state of play in all 50 states, continuously updated to reflect shifting landscapes along with 50-state text summaries.
— Mississippi-based photographer Rogelio Solis documented reaction outside the Jackson Women’s Health Organization clinic,ground zero for the Dobbs v. Jackson case. More noted images of the wave of reaction across the nation included work from Eric Gay in Austin,Texas,and Rick Bowmer in Salt Lake City.

Social media posts were also up quickly after the news hit the wire. Audience editor Alex Connor had worked off Sherman and Gresko’s prep,drafting several different outcomes for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

The Supreme Court has ended constitutional protections for abortion, and 13 states already have laws that ban abortion in the event of Roe v. Wade being overturned. Another half-dozen states have near-total bans or prohibitions after 6 weeks of pregnancy. https://t.co/VTLTK7zLWk pic.twitter.com/fwMM2CEOzB

— The Associated Press (@AP) June 24, 2022

Countless other AP journalists across regions and formats mobilized to deliver real-time reaction from all sides that elevated AP’s coverage of the ruling.

For exemplifying the news cooperative at its best,covering a pivotal moment with far-reaching consequences for American society,AP recognizes journalists Sherman,Gresko,Martin,Helber,Amarasinghe,Applewhite,Harnik,Gentilo,Huff,Ellgren,Pesoli,Kruesi,Whitehurst,Hanna,Sedensky,Goldman,Solis,Bowmer,Gay,Connor, Vineys and their colleagues throughout the organization with Best of the Week — First Winner honors.

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For breaking news, visit apnews.com

By The Associated Press

JULY 1, 2022

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Months of planning, preparation put AP out front with unmatched coverage of SCOTUS abortion ruling

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