Getting ‘Election Night’ Right in 2020
As the 2020 presidential election approaches, members of the media reflect on the failures of past political coverage. What have journalists learned in the last four years, and why is it so crucial to get things right this time around?
The 2020 election is only two months away, and there is work to be done to avoid the journalistic missteps of the last presidential cycle and to ensure fair, accurate, and comprehensive reporting. What’s more: new and complicated factors have been added to the mix, from the global Covid-19 pandemic to widespread civil unrest.
What lessons has the press learned coming out of 2016, and why is it so crucial that journalists get things right this time around? How can they better contextualize stories about things like polling numbers and Facebook misinformation? What can journalists do to prepare the public for the likelihood that election results may take days or weeks to process after November 3? And in the event election results are contested, how can the press inform the public without inflaming tensions or heightening mistrust?
Join us for a virtual panel discussion moderated by Brennan Center President Michael Waldman as we explore these questions and more. He’ll be joined by journalists Stephen Engelberg, Abby Phillip, and Amy Walter.
This event is produced in partnership with ProPublica, New York University’s John Brademas Center, and NYU Votes.
Speakers:
Stephen Engelberg, Editor-in-Chief, ProPublica
Amy Walter, National Editor, The Cook Political Report; Host, The Takeaway: Politics with Amy Walter
Abby Phillip, Political Correspondent, CNN
Moderator: Michael Waldman, President, Brennan Center for Justice
