About

I'm Susan Rinkunas, an independent journalist covering abortion, reproductive health, and politics and co-founder of Autonomy News.

I specialize in stories about abortion access, pregnancy criminalization, and the conservative legal movement's attack on bodily autonomy writ large. Workers in the reproductive rights movement also trust me to do accountability reporting on their employers and other powerful organizations, the kind of coverage that is sorely lacking. See more of my work here.

I am a contributing writer at the relaunched Jezebel, a contributing editor at The New Republic, and a columnist at Democracy Docket. My work has appeared in Slate, The Guardian, MSNOW, The Nation, Elle, Marie Claire, and more. I've also been on staff at Vice, The Cut, and several health publications.

My independent newsletter is called Body Politic because I write about bodily autonomy and the people and powers that shape it.

I'm also involved in union organizing with the Writers Guild of America East, where I serve as an elected member of council and where I helped bargain shop contracts at Vice and G/O Media. Additionally, I am a proud member of the Union of Pinnacle Tenants. I was raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and have lived in New York City since 2011.

Follow me other places

I'm on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and, rarely, Twitter.

Media appearances

I'm available to discuss reproductive rights and justice on your show. Email me at susanrinkunaswrites [at] gmail [dot] com.

Some media hits:

Pennsylvania mother and daughter face criminal charges after using abortion pills - WCPT 820 Heartland Signal, July 2025

Looking Back and Ahead: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in 2024 and 2025 - rePROs Fight Back, January 2025

Walz Rouses DNC; Uncommitted Sit-In; Abortion Fight Grows w/ Daniel Denvir, Susan Rinkunas - The Majority Report, August 2024

Lessons from Ohio’s Abortion Ballot Measure - Yes! Magazine, November 2023