Safeguarding Democratic Processes
This week: a new publication, a panel chair for the National Book awards, and upcoming CITAP events.
From a Spring 2023 course to a Spring 2024 publication
How did journalists safeguard democratic institutions during the 2022 midterms? They didn’t really, Heesoo Jang and Daniel Kreiss argue in "Safeguarding the Peaceful Transfer of Power: Pro-Democracy Electoral Frames and Journalist Coverage of Election Deniers During the 2022 U.S. Midterm Elections.”
In the spring of 2023, Daniel taught a research course titled "Undergraduate Reading and Research in Journalism, Campaigns, and Democracy," with Heesoo as the course assistant. The undergraduate students— Maddie Haggard, Monique Gandy, Tays Troutman, Kemonte Jones, Luke Linkel, Kelly Kendall, Kelli Rainer, Clairea Hutto, Pete Villasmil, Nicole Zack, Ally Henson, Sinclair Holian, Alexandra Myer, and Kaitlyn Dang— surveyed how local news coverage framed candidates who denied election results in numerous races across the country. Based on data from 21 races in 13 states, they found that media coverage largely mentioned candidates' denialism without explaining how these beliefs could threaten democratic institutions. This semester-long project culminated in the publication of this paper.
Jang and Kreiss define democracy-framed election coverage as “as that which foregrounds competitive elections and the peaceful transfer of power as both an established norm and political ideal.” While there's literature about journalism’s role in democratic societies, there's less on its role during “complex democratization processes… or threats to deconsolidation after democracy is established.” This paper highlights the need for a normative and analytical framework for journalism's role in protecting electoral elections and a way to evaluate press performance empirically.
Journalism may directly contribute to democratic backsliding, even in an environment characterized by media pluralism and free expression.
Findings from the survey include:
6% (36 out of 589) of news articles included pro-democracy electoral frames in their election coverage.
None of the national news coverage used pro-democracy frames; all 36 articles were from city/local news outlets.
19.33% (29 out of 199) of opinion pieces included pro-democracy electoral frames.
5.94% (35 out of 589) of news articles cited election administrators as a source.
Despite journalistic independence and pluralism, U.S. journalism during the 2022 midterm elections failed to adequately uphold the peaceful transfer of power. Journalists often neglected to challenge actions undermining democratic principles, contributing to lower expectations of peaceful transitions of power.
So, in an environment where the mere presence of media pluralism is often assumed to be pro-democratic, what is the solution? Jang and Kreiss argue that it requires a new conception of journalism: away from a purely informational role, and towards “an embrace of protecting the very democratic institutions they rely on and educating citizens as to the value of the peaceful transfer of power and legitimate elections.”
Tressie announced as Panel Chair for the 2024 National Book Awards
Tressie McMillan Cottom has been announced as the Panel Chair in Nonfiction for the 2024 National Book Awards!
“The National Book Awards were established in 1950 to celebrate the best writing in the United States. Since 1989, the Awards have been overseen by the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to celebrate the best literature published in the United States, expand its audience, and ensure that books have a prominent place in our culture. Although other categories have been recognized in the past, the Awards currently honors the best Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature published each year.
A panel of judges selects a Longlist of ten titles per category, which is then narrowed to five Finalists, and a Winner is announced at the Awards Ceremony in the fall. Each Finalist receives a prize of $1,000, a medal, and a Judges’ citation. Winners receive $10,000 and a bronze sculpture. The Awards Ceremony is one of the most anticipated events for writers, publishers, and readers eager to celebrate the best books of the year.”
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Coming soon
March
🚨Speaker Series | Forrest Stuart: This Wednesday, March 20th, UNC Sociology and CITAP are co-hosting visiting speaker, Dr. Forrest Stuart. The talk is from 12pm-1pm in the Freedom Forum Conference Center (Carroll Hall). Lunch will be provided!
March 21st at the New York Law School: Alice Marwick is moderating a panel, “Censorship and Social Media Legislation”, as part of “Digital Spaces, Diverse Faces: Strengthening LGBTQ+ Communities and Mental Health in a Connected Age” hosted by City & State New York and Equality New York.
April
Media and January 6th: On April 12th, CITAP will be hosting an event in celebration and reflection of the launch of the book “Media and January 6th.”
Find more info about the panels, panelists, and schedule for the day here! UNC students are eligible to receive CLE credit for each panel.