Threats to U.S. Democracy

It's Time for Newsrooms to Defend Democracy

It’s Time for Newsrooms to Defend Democracy

November 8 is the date of the midterm elections, but today — September 15 — is Democracy Day.  An initiative of news industry leaders at Hearken, the Center for Cooperative Media,…
September 15, 2022
James Geary
American Democracy is Under Threat — and Newsrooms Are Mobilizing to Cover It

American Democracy is Under Threat — and Newsrooms Are Mobilizing to Cover It

Reporters need to focus on local election agencies and move beyond horse race political coverage
June 13, 2022
Celeste Katz Marston
The Media and the Ballot Box: Confronting 21st Century Voter Suppression

The Media and the Ballot Box: Confronting 21st Century Voter Suppression

As more states restrict ballot access, news outlets must invest in consistent voting rights reporting that cuts through lies, distortion, and disinformation
December 15, 2021
Celeste Katz Marston
Covering Extremism: “As Exhausting a Beat as It Is Important”

Covering Extremism: “As Exhausting a Beat as It Is Important”

Seyward Darby’s book on women in the white nationalist movement, “Sisters in Hate,” grew out of a detailed piece of reporting she published in Harper’s in 2017. But that wasn’t…
March 30, 2021
Celeste Katz Marston
After the Capitol Riot, Journalists Contend with Rage against the Media

After the Capitol Riot, Journalists Contend with Rage against the Media

Most days, Paul Gillespie keeps himself to photographing the news, not commenting on it.January 6, 2021, wasn’t one of those days.As violent pro-Donald Trump rioters laid siege to the U.S.…
January 12, 2021
Celeste Katz Marston
Without a Campaign to Cover, Reporters Shift to Covering the Voting Process Itself

Without a Campaign to Cover, Reporters Shift to Covering the Voting Process Itself

As Patrick Marley moved down the queue of voters lined up near a high school in Madison, some of his interviewees had to shout. Six feet apart is not ideal…
May 12, 2020
Casey Quackenbush