The U.S. Supreme Court has always ruled on politically controversial issues. From elections to civil rights, from abortion to free speech, the justices frequently weigh in on the country's most debated problems. The public typically finds out about the court ' including its significant decisions and the politics surrounding appointments ' from the news media. While elected officeholders and candidates make direct appeals to their voters, the justices and Supreme Court nominees are different ' they largely rely on the news to disseminate information about the court, giving the public at least a cursory understanding. Recently, something has changed in newspaper coverage of the Supreme Court. As scholars of judicial politics, political institutions and political behavior, we set out to understand precisely how media coverage of the court has changed over the past 40 years. Specifically, we analyzed the content of every article referencing the Supreme Court in five major newspapers...
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