Opinion: Pro-democracy journalism is not partisan

With the midterms approaching, Randy Atkins argues that newsrooms should prioritize verified facts, threats to democratic institutions and policies affecting voters over polling and political spectacle. The journalist and Media and Democracy Project board member outlines his organization’s election-coverage guidelines and urges journalists to distinguish fairness from false equivalence.

The guidelines focus on identifying threats to democracy, countering disinformation and explaining the stakes of elections. Atkins contends that defending democratic principles is compatible with rigorous journalism and calls on news organizations to support colleagues facing government pressure.

Read the election coverage guidelines →