Dear American Journalists, Editors, Producers and Publishers:   

The United States is in crisis as anti-democratic forces attack our election systems, lie, and make it more difficult for Americans to vote. The Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 Attack on the United States Capitol has produced damning details of the coup attempted by Trump, members of his staff, and his allies in Congress. Election lies told on the campaign trail by candidates running for elected office are a continuation of the Jan. 6 efforts to undermine our democratic system. Some Republican-controlled state legislatures have passed new laws based on these lies, allowing fair election results to be ignored or contravened. The MAGA wing of the Republican party is openly preparing to overturn elections they do not win.

Excellent, brave journalism is required for our nation to overcome the threat. As Prof. Jay Rosen has noted, “[Journalists] have to recognize that the picture of politics on which they base their practices is shattered.” The 2022 midterms are not a traditional election between Democrats and Republicans - they are a contest between those willing to uphold our democratic system and those who are telling lies to win at all costs. We are in grave and accelerating danger as a country. We implore you to frame the danger accordingly.

We strongly recommend that you adopt practices that are pro-truth, pro-voting, and pro-democracy. We have drafted these principles that we believe should be followed by all American newsrooms. We are rooting for you.

MAKE THREATS TO DEMOCRACY CLEAR
Election liars are on the ballot. Identify them and use the word “lie” 
Cover the Big Lie-fueled attack on election legitimacy and voting rights
Inform voters of the freedoms they can expect to lose under MAGA Republican extremist governance
Abandon false equivalence between normal candidates and anti-democracy Republicans, as that normalizes election lies
Forcefully denounce candidates who call for or condone violence

PROTECT AMERICANS FROM DISINFORMATION
Use direct language instead of euphemism that softens election lies and voter suppression
  Stop being stenographers for strategic MAGA Republican election lies
Regularly remind voters of all candidates’ positions on the legitimate election victory of Joe Biden
Inoculate Americans against a repeat of the Big Lie strategy of rejecting results after Election Day 
Connect the Big Lie to the strategic MAGA Republican effort to undermine democracy 
Build public trust by explaining the newsroom decisions you make about elections.

COVER ELECTIONS LIKE THEY MATTER MORE THAN SPORTS SCORES 
Inform voters by providing substantive coverage of the issues 
Stop making predictions and pushing polls at the expense of issues coverage
Celebrate and uplift election workers, voters, and the election process
Don’t set aside your moral judgment when confronting obvious lies and bigotry

We are at a critical juncture. The rights and freedoms that Americans cherish are at risk. As an essential pillar of democracy, journalists have a moral responsibility to warn the public. Will you adhere to outdated paradigms, seeking neutrality for neutrality’s sake, or will you respond to the attack on our country by working to defend it? Reporting the truth, supporting elections, and condemning violence is not partisan political bias, but the pro-democracy bias crucially needed at this moment. We urge you to rise to this moment by implementing these principles when covering the 2022 elections, and for as long as our system is under attack.

Click here for further explanation of each of our guidelines.
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