Media and Democracy Project Urges Newsrooms to Adopt Pro-Democracy Election Coverage Guidelines
TL;DR
News organizations adopting pro-democracy election coverage guidelines can gain the advantage of restoring trust and credibility with their audience.
The guidelines proposed by MAD focus on fact-based reporting, pushing back against election lies, and uplifting voting to improve the quality of election coverage.
Adopting the guidelines can make the world a better place by helping voters make informed decisions, protecting democracy, and reducing the damaging impact of election lies.
The open letter from MAD and 3,258 individuals urges major media organizations to switch their focus from polls and drama to candidates’ policies, past-governance, and behavior.
Found this article helpful?
Share it with your network and spread the knowledge!
The Media and Democracy Project (MAD), supported by 3,258 individuals, has issued an open letter to media executives, publishers, and union leaders, urging them to adopt pro-democracy election coverage guidelines that emphasize fact-based reporting and counteract misinformation. These guidelines aim to shift the focus of election coverage from polls and drama to candidates' policies, past governance, and behavior.
Brian Hansbury, co-founder of MAD, highlighted the urgency of this initiative, stating, “Our democratic institutions are under attack and it’s incumbent on newsrooms to recalibrate their political coverage to adopt and adhere to practices that are pro-truth, pro-voting, and pro-democracy.”
The guidelines propose 18 recommendations across three categories: substantive issues coverage, reporting on threats to democracy, and protecting against disinformation. Specific actions include prioritizing coverage of issues that impact voters' lives, creating informative headlines, reducing reliance on polls, celebrating election workers, and holding politicians accountable for their statements and actions.
The open letter stresses the importance of voters understanding the stakes in upcoming elections, noting the detrimental effects of election lies, such as increased death threats against election officials and a rise in intimidation of female legislators. Additionally, plans like Project 2025 by Trump allies pose further threats to the democratic system.
Notable signatories of the letter include Ruth Ben-Ghiat, NYU Professor of History, who emphasized the necessity for news organizations to clearly communicate the threats to U.S. democracy. Mark Jacob, former Chicago Tribune editor, likened the media's role to warning the public about an impending hurricane, underscoring the need for proactive and unbiased reporting on anti-democratic movements.
Norm Ornstein, political scientist and Senior Fellow Emeritus at the American Enterprise Institute, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Democracy is at stake–and as the open letter so powerfully demands, we need our news media to step up and be responsible.”
The call for adopting pro-democracy election coverage guidelines reflects a critical need for the media to prioritize the public interest, safeguard democratic values, and ensure that voters are well-informed. For more details on this initiative and to view the list of signatories, visit MAD’s website.
Curated from News Direct
