November 10, 2021: Journalism Is Failing to Meet this Moment

Posted on November 10, 2021 at 12:00 AM

At this moment, the only way to save American democracy is for the press and public spokespeople to be unequivocally clear about the Republican party’s attack on democracy. Instead, we are almost losing the largest assault on our American institutions because the press treats the story in front of us as basically a normal American political story—with the party out of power having difficulty winning in state elections, for example. 

It is almost forgotten that the Republicans continue to follow in Trump’s footsteps and to take the immoral and unpatriotic stand that Joe Biden didn’t really get elected in 2020; Trump did.

This major lie is almost disappearing over the horizon as truth melts in the sunset. It is not a new story so the press feels no obligation keep it front and center, although that is where it should be. No press conference should pass without a question on what the Republican position is on whether Biden won the 2020 election and how they can justify saying he didn’t. Instead, the goal continues to be to work to overturn the election and reinstall the incumbent.

When the press talks about “laws” it’s some other very much smaller law. You can’t have a Defense of Democracy if you are going to have no interest in the Constitution or in election laws.

Almost as unpatriotically derelict is the failure to constantly challenge the Republicans to explain why their only realized goal is to block and obstruct Democrats. Just lie or just say “no.”

— Elizabeth Clark, Chair, Human Rights & Democracy Task Force