Who we are
Autonomy News is a new worker-owned reproductive rights and justice publication co-founded by Garnet Henderson and Susan Rinkunas, featuring original reporting and sharp analysis that applies a human rights framework to issues including abortion, contraception, and gender-affirming care.
Garnet and Susan are among the most trusted reporters on this beat in the U.S. Combined, they have more than two decades’ experience, plus unparalleled sourcing and strong points of view. Their writing has appeared in The Nation, ELLE, The Guardian, and The New Republic, and more. They first met at VICE, where Susan edited Garnet’s work.
Garnet and Susan are the primary contributors to Autonomy News, with assistance from freelance editors. (Our stories will always go through rigorous editing and fact checking). Our hope is that, as we grow, we can commission freelance reporting and analysis and eventually invite other worker-owners to join the venture.
Read more about our mission here.
Our point of view
We do not subscribe to traditional ideas about “journalistic objectivity.” Reporters are human beings, each of whom brings lived experience to their work, and whose approach to journalism should be shaped by what they learn in their reporting. We believe that traditional both-sideism in media reinforces inequity and protects power, rather than interrogating it.
What we do believe in are fairness, accountability, transparency, and holding power to account. We will always be direct, and say what we mean rather than tip-toeing around the truth. We’ll also show our work, supporting our conclusions with factual reporting. Every one of our reported stories will be fact checked, and everyone we report on will be given an opportunity to comment.
At Autonomy News, we fundamentally believe information about abortion and bodily autonomy should not be behind a paywall. Paywalls often interrupt access to high-quality news sources, whereas misinformation is almost always free. We will never put up a paywall, but producing our journalism is not free! Please support us with a subscription if you are able, and help make sure our reporting remains available to those who can’t pay.
Editorial independence
Donations will never influence editorial decisions and we will only accept institutional gifts if we can disclose them. Potential conflicts of interest will always be disclosed.
About the founders
Garnet Henderson is an investigative reporter specializing in abortion access, anti-rights disinformation, and other intersections of health, policy, and culture. She was previously the Senior Investigative Reporter at Rewire News Group, and her work has also been published in The Nation, ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Scientific American, Marie Claire, The Guardian, WIRED, and more. She is the creator of ACCESS: A Podcast About Abortion, and a four-time grantee and fellow of the International Women's Media Foundation.
Contact Garnet with story tips at garnet.henderson@gmail.com or on Signal at garnethenderson.12
Susan Rinkunas is a journalist covering abortion, reproductive health, and politics. She is a contributing writer at Jezebel, a contributing editor at The New Republic, and a columnist at Democracy Docket. She was previously a Senior Reporter at Jezebel and a Senior Editor at VICE and her reporting has appeared in The Guardian, Slate, The Cut, The Nation, ELLE, and more.
Contact Susan with story tips at susanrinkunaswrites@gmail.com or on Signal at susanrinkunas.73
The Autonomy News logo is by Kate Ryan.
Contact us
For general inquiries, write to autonomynewsco@gmail.com.
You can find us on Instagram, Bluesky, and Tiktok. You can follow Garnet on all platforms at @garnethenderson and Susan at @susanrinkunas.