Do you own a bear trap? I’m about to put my neck in one with a column that I suspect will please almost no one. It’s about that third rail of all third rails – abortion. More specifically, it is about what we will use as a shorthand title for a proposed amendment to the Ohio constitution that will appear on the November ballot. Officially, its title is The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety, which is way, way too long to use in headlines and lead paragraphs of stories. And, it does not include the word abortion, which is what this amendment covers. Right there. That last sentence? That just snapped that bear trap, and it surely triggered steam to shoot from the ears of a bunch of people reading this. For us, though, this is about pragmatism, not politics. We will write reams of material about the abortion amendment over the next three months. Our headlines and lead paragraphs have to convey the action that makes the news. If the subject is fundraising, for example, the headline would have to convey the point. “Both sides of the abortion amendment report raising millions,” maybe. Headlines have to be short to perform well in Google searches and get your attention. Shorthanding the title of the amendment to “the abortion amendment” or “the amendment to legalize abortion” gives writers room to tell you what the story is about. A lot of you hate labeling it that way, as you told me in large numbers. I asked about it in a text message I send out each weekday morning about questions we’re asking in the newsroom or stories we have in the works. (You can subscribe for free at joinsubtext.com/chrisquinn) I explained we were debating among ourselves how to label the amendment and wondered what subscribers to the text messages thought. You can see in some offerings that passions run high: Women’s Choice Protection Amendment. Reproductive Choice Amendment Reproductive Options Amendment Legalizing Abortion in Ohio Amendment The Baby Killer Amendment Women’s Freedom Amendment The Vagina Control Bill The Family Planning Amendment The Bodily Autonomy Amendment The Hands Off My Body Amendment The Stop Misogyny Now Bill Some wrote with their thoughts on why it should not be called the abortion amendment: “I don’t want to vote on abortion. I want to vote against state intrusion into such private and medical matters,” said one. “Calling it the Abortion Amendment is triggering and many will therefore not read the articles objectively,” said another. “I’m afraid using the term abortion frightens too many voters,” said a third. Then there were those who agreed with calling it the abortion amendment. “I support this amendment, and everyone with a brain knows it’s about abortion. Let’s not try to hide it like the Republicans and Issue 1 ads that try scare tactics about drag shows, transgender and parental rights,” said one. “The abortion amendment seems most honest and accurate,” said another. Honesty and accuracy are what drive our decision. Yes, we know, the amendment contains elements about reproductive health beyond abortion, but this amendment is about abortion. We wouldn’t be voting on it had not the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a half-century of precedent and overturned Roe v. Wade, which recognized a right to abortion. Our news stories are not part of a campaign. Reporters don’t fashion their writing to help sway voters one way or the other. They bring you the news. Of course, in the body of the stories, we will explain what the amendment would do. We’ll even use the full title regularly. But our headlines and lead paragraphs will refer to abortion. I understand that this makes many of you unhappy. Angry, even. Hence, my bear trap analogy. I’ve promised you transparency, however. You might be upset with what we’re doing, but at least you have our reasoning. As an aside, what strikes me about all the reporting we will do on this amendment – along with all the content we will carry about on our opinion platforms – is I don’t think it will affect voting. We’ve been debating abortion in this country for decades. How many people have not made up their minds? Our readers have a high interest in it, so we will report the developments and the news. But I doubt that all the money that will be spent on the campaigning will mean much in the ballot booths. Think about it. What are the chances you would change your mind at this point of the debate? I’m at cquinn@cleveland.com. Thanks for reading. | 