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For Immediate Release
August, 15 2024, 03:12pm EDT
Contact:
Timothy Karr: 201-533-8838,,tkarr@freepress.net
Dozens of Civil-Rights and Journalism Groups Urge the Media to Report on Rising Authoritarianism and Threats to Democracy
On Thursday, a coalition of more than three-dozen civil-rights, consumer-rights and journalism organizations released a letter calling on news outlets to accurately and unapologetically report on U.S. elections and the state of our democracy. Led by Free Press, the coalition also includes Hearken, Media Matters for America, MediaJustice, the National Hispanic Media Coalition and PEN America.
Media coverage can invite public engagement and robust participation in the democratic process. It can also be manipulated to promote falsehoods for political gain and to silence dissent. “Democratic backsliding is rising around the world and the media must take the related threats seriously and place protection of democracy over their own bottom lines,” the letter reads. The letter describes six best practices the media should adhere to during moments of crisis, violence and threats to U.S. democracy.
Free Press Senior Counsel and Director of Digital Justice and Civil Rights Nora Benavidez said:
“Now is the time for news outlets to rise to the occasion: They must refuse to cover politics with soundbites that place profit over people’s understanding of the ways in which our basic rights are at risk — including the freedom journalists and the media themselves cherish. Left unchecked by the press, the rhetoric and actions of authoritarian leaders delegitimize the democratic process. Political leaders are dehumanizing minority groups, flouting the rule of law, and supporting violence or retribution against critics. Communities deserve to learn about the stakes facing our country and the implications of rising autocracy on all of our lives.
“As so many hardworking journalists cover the threats to our democracy this election season, all news outlets must hold themselves to the highest pro-democracy standards. Clearly call a lie a lie. If a political candidate, party or other influential platform applauds illegal activity or rejects the rule of law, reporters and other media professionals must take these threats seriously as they are overt attacks on a functional democracy.”
Free Press was created to give people a voice in the crucial decisions that shape our media. We believe that positive social change, racial justice and meaningful engagement in public life require equitable access to technology, diverse and independent ownership of media platforms, and journalism that holds leaders accountable and tells people what's actually happening in their communities.
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Immigrant Rights Group Gives Harris Its First-Ever Presidential Endorsement
"Former President Trump and extremist politicians have promised mass deportations, the erosion of fundamental rights, and four more years of white supremacist ideology," said the head of Make the Road Action.
Aug 15, 2024
Facing the specter of draconian policies including mass deportations of undocumented immigrants under a potential second term for former U.S. President Donald Trump, a major progressive Latine-led advocacy group on Thursday announced its first-ever general election presidential endorsement, for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
"Our democracy is at a crossroads. Former President Trump and extremist politicians have promised mass deportations, the erosion of fundamental rights, and four more years of white supremacist ideology," said Theo Oshiro, executive director of Make the Road Action, in a statement announcing the group's endorsement.
"In the face of this assault on freedom, equality, and dignity, Vice President Kamala Harris is the clear choice for voters this November," Oshiro continued. "This election is about our collective vision of what this country can become. We are working toward a future where all people have the freedom to stay with their loved ones, the freedom to transform their lives, and the freedom to thrive."
"That vision is only possible under a President Harris," he stressed. "We will fight to ensure that she is elected and will hold her accountable to deliver for immigrant and working-class communities."
Latine Americans could play a decisive role in key swing states including Nevada, where they make up nearly 1 in 5 of all voters, and Pennsylvania, where an estimated 615,000 Latine residents are eligible to vote. President Joe Biden won Nevada by fewer than 50,000 votes in 2020 and Pennsylvania by 80,000 votes.
Human rights defenders fear a second Trump term could be even more harmful to undocumented immigrants than his previous White House tenure, during which the Republican president—who launched his 2016 campaign by calling Mexicans rapists and drug dealers—enacted policies including ramped-up deportations; migrant family separation; imprisonment of children in cages; and banning people from several Muslim countries, Venezuela, and North Korea from entering the United States.
"I firmly believe this endorsement marks a pivotal moment for our membership," said Antonio Garcia of Make the Road Action Nevada. "The stakes couldn't be higher as we endorse Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate [Minnesota Gov.] Tim Walz, signifying a bold step forward."
"This election isn't merely about individuals; it's a watershed moment in history that will profoundly influence our community's future," Garcia continued. "It compels us to choose unity over division, to take a stand on the right side of history."
"Electing the first woman of color as president of the United States fills me with immense pride, knowing my vote contributes to this historic change," he added. "More than responding to the times, being part of this movement means we are actively forging a better future. We are committed to holding our leaders accountable, ensuring they uphold their promises to our immigrant and working-class communities."
In an effort to blunt attacks by Trump and other Republicans over what they falsely claim are the Biden administration's "open borders" policies, Harris has positioned herself as a border hawk. The narrator of a new Harris campaign ad titled "Tougher" says that "as vice president, she backed the toughest border control bill in decades, and as president, she will hire thousands more border agents and crack down on fentanyl and human trafficking. Fixing the border is tough. So is Kamala Harris."
According to a YouGov-Statista Research poll published last month, immigration is the second-most important issue to U.S. voters after inflation and prices.
Last week, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the nation's largest and oldest Latine civil rights organization, endorsed Harris—the first time the group has endorsed a presidential candidate since its founding in 1929.
Harris has also been endorsed by Latine advocacy groups including Mi Familia Vota, Voto Latino, and UnidosUS Action Fund.
Another group making its first-ever presidential endorsement for Harris is the youth-led gun control campaign March for Our Lives.
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"Now is the time to refuse to cover politics with soundbites that place profit over people's understanding of the stakes. Media must be a watchdog for the people right now."
Aug 15, 2024
Pushing back against calls for the media to "refrain from covering mounting authoritarianism" in the United States since the Republican nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump, survived an assassination attempt, a coalition on Thursday urged news outlets "to wholeheartedly reject such a dereliction of journalistic duty, and to rigorously report threats to our democracy."
"Media coverage shapes both public discourse and people's understanding of events of the day," states the coalition's open letter. "This is particularly critical during contentious and extreme times such as these. Media coverage can invite public engagement and robust participation in the democratic process. It can also be manipulated to promote falsehoods for political gain, to silence dissent, and stoke racism."
Since Trump launched his current presidential bid nearly two years ago, critics—including Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for the November election—have highlighted concerns about his political track record, ongoing criminal cases, promises to those funding his effort to reclaim the White House, fascistic language on the campaign trail, and the Project 2025 agenda crafted by his allies.
The media was accused of helping Trump reach the White House for his first term. One study from Harvard University's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy found that major U.S. news outlets covered his 2016 presidential campaign in "a way that was unusual given his initial polling numbers."
As the new letter—signed by over three dozen groups and individuals—details:
We have witnessed the resurgence of white supremacist values on social media and in real-life events like the tragedy in Charlottesville in 2017. We have seen the rise of political figures who fan the flames of bigotry and reject the rule of law. And in the run-up to January 6, 2021, the right-wing media spread disinformation that played a role in disrupting the peaceful transition of power.
In these moments, media coverage has routinely failed to adequately expose these dangers for audiences. Too often, extremist values and coverage have made their way into mainstream media reporting, shifting what is considered "normal" or "acceptable" in public discourse—with devastating impacts on people of color, women, immigrants, the LGBTQIA+ community, and other vulnerable populations. Media companies should not make false equivalencies between those who are trying to protect democracy and those who are seeking to overthrow it.
"Democratic backsliding is rising around the world and the media must take the related threats seriously and place protection of democracy over their own bottom lines," the letter argues. "We urge media executives to pledge that their news companies will adopt the following best practices in covering contentious times—and to safeguard information integrity during moments of crisis, violence, and threats to U.S. democracy."
The coalition's six proposed best practices are: identify and name authoritarian and autocratic rhetoric; cross-check, fact-check, double-check; take seriously and report rigorously on threats to the rule of law and institutions; always give more context for audiences; and provide civic information.
"It's only August. We have months of news coverage and unanticipated events that will unfold before the U.S. elections in November," the letter notes. "Now is the time to refuse to cover politics with soundbites that place profit over people's understanding of the stakes. Media must be a watchdog for the people right now. Media must hold itself to the highest pro-democracy standards."
Coalition members include the Abortion Care Network, Center on Race & Digital Justice, Free Press, Friends of the Earth Action, GLAAD, Media Matters for America, PEN America, the Sparrow Project, Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, United We Dream, and over 20 other groups. The individual signatories are journalist Joe Amditis, activist Andrea Figueroa, journalism professor Jeff Jarvis, columnist Brian Karem, writer Elad Nehorai, and editor Damaso Reyes.
"Now is the time for news outlets to rise to the occasion," said Free Press senior counsel and director of digital justice and civil rights Nora Benavidez in a statement Thursday. "Left unchecked by the press, the rhetoric and actions of authoritarian leaders delegitimize the democratic process."
"Political leaders are dehumanizing minority groups, flouting the rule of law, and supporting violence or retribution against critics," Benavidez stressed. "Communities deserve to learn about the stakes facing our country and the implications of rising autocracy on all of our lives."
"As so many hardworking journalists cover the threats to our democracy this election season, all news outlets must hold themselves to the highest pro-democracy standards," she added. "Clearly call a lie a lie. If a political candidate, party, or other influential platform applauds illegal activity or rejects the rule of law, reporters and other media professionals must take these threats seriously as they are overt attacks on a functional democracy."
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"It's time for the FCC to protect voters from deepfakes," said one advocate.
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A week after the Federal Elections Commission announced it would not take action to regulate artificial intelligence-generated "deepfakes" in political ads, more than 40 civil society groups on Thursday called on the Federal Communications Commission to step in to ensure U.S. voters will be informed about fake content used by campaigns as they prepare to go to the polls.
The groups, including Public Citizen, the AFL-CIO, Access Now, and the Campaign Legal Center, backed a proposal by the FCC to require on-air and written disclosures when there is AI-generated content in political ads.
"It's time for the FCC to protect voters from deepfakes!" said Willmary Escoto, policy counsel for Access Now.
Unveiled in May by FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, the FCC's proposal would apply the disclosure rules to ads pertaining to candidates and issues and push for a "specific definition of AI-generated content."
"These rules are essential to safeguard the integrity of our democratic processes and ensure that voters are fully informed of the origins of political advertisements."
The civil society groups expressed their "strong support" for rules requiring "transparency in the use of AI-generated content in political advertisements on TV and radio, especially when the AI-generated content falsely depicts a candidate or persons saying or doing something that they never did with the intent to cause harm or deceive voters (known as 'deepfakes')."
"These rules are essential to safeguard the integrity of our democratic processes and ensure that voters are fully informed of the origins of political advertisements," wrote the groups.
Public Citizen condemned the Federal Election Commission last week when its Republican chair, Sean Cooksey, said the agency should "study how AI is actually used on the ground before considering any new rules."
The groups on Thursday said evidence already "abounds of the significant and deceptive impact that AI-generated content can have," with X owner Elon Musk recently posting a deepfake video that showed a manipulated image of Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris, making it seem like she was saying she was the "ultimate diversity hire."
"The proposed disclosure requirements are a natural and common-sense extension of the FCC's existing mandates to ensure transparency in broadcasting in general and in political advertising on radio and TV in particular," said the groups.
They also commended the FCC's leadership in addressing the "critical issue" of deepfakes.
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