This is a collective media ‘we’ — the rules of information and distribution have changed, and we need to keep each other accountable for how we report on consequential elections. Let’s try and build some consensus around important editorial standards 3 months before the 2020 presidential primary starts in earnest.
Target audience: political journalists, newsroom managers, anyone interested or participating in 2020 election coverage
Mission: An audit of 2020 coverage so far and a real, hard look back at 2016 media controversies, criticism and mistakes. The 2020 presidential primary already has the most diverse field of candidates in history, so newsrooms need to confront racial and gender biases in coverage head-on. Has any newsroom updated ethics guides since 2016? How do we give candidates equal/fair coverage, and how do we track it? What best practices and editorial standards can we share and agree on?
Other challenges to discuss: What do we do when the politicians become the content creators themselves? There’s a new relationship between candidates and constituents, with livestreams, Instagram Stories and more: what role does the press play here?
Political media still has a lot of room to improve and this will be a chance to look back, look at now, and carve out a productive way forward.
Suggested Speaker(s)
- Jamelle Bouie
Journalist and Columnist, New York Times - Margaret Sullivan
Media Columnist, Washington Post