The U.S. Supreme Court holds profound influence over American law and society, yet public understanding depends heavily on the news media. This dissertation presents a comprehensive empirical analysis of television news coverage of the Court’s 1990-2018 terms, comparing how the volume, format, and presentation of Supreme Court case mentions in evening news transcripts varied across time periods, channel types, and cable programs. My research involves quantitative content analysis, qualitative assessments, and statistical comparisons of 595 transcripts containing 717 case mentions of 154 cases. The findings compel us to consider how institutional constraints and practices shape coverage decisions in ways that may restrict substantive reporting on governance institutions like the Court, potentially impacting public awareness and understanding of the judicial branch. This rigorous study provides needed investigation into overlooked facets of Court news coverage and by making the comprehensive dataset publicly available, it establishes a foundation to motivate future studies at the nexus of journalism, the Supreme Court, and the public.
