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Learn more about Democracy Day:
What is U.S. Democracy Day and how does it work?
Watch (and share) this video to learn about this historic nationwide collaborative reporting project!
THE PROBLEM
DEMOCRACY IN THE U.S. IS UNDER THREAT
The U.S. Democracy Day collaborative got its start ahead of the midterms in 2022. It launched as an effort to encourage news organizations across the country to report more — and better— information about the crisis facing democracy here.
We coalesced around one common publishing/broadcasting date: Sept. 15, which is the International Day of Democracy. A total of 400 news organizations participated, including the Gannett chain and dozens of nonprofit and independent outlets.
2024 will be a watershed year for American democracy regardless of election resolutions. We look forward to helping news organizations build muscle and capacity for what’s to come.
Thanks to support from Democracy Fund, the organizing committee for U.S. Democracy Day has some exciting plans for this year to accomplish just that. We’re planning training webinars, in-person events, content sharing and more.
THE GOAL
DRAW ATTENTION TO THE CRISIS AND HOW INDIVIDUALS CAN RESPOND
Democracy Day is an effort to draw attention to this crisis, provide the public with the context and information they need, and bring all types of media together to sound the alarm collectively.
THE PLAN
INCENTIVIZE MEDIA COVERAGE THROUGH A NATIONWIDE COLLABORATIVE
We’d like to provide clear explanations of what’s happening (and what could happen), give practical information on what members of the public can do, and uncover new revelations related to anti-democratic efforts.
We have chosen Sept. 15 as a day when print, radio, TV, and digital media on the national and local level will come together to report on the threat we’re facing. This will include original reporting, aggregations of existing reporting, and op-eds. Through the collaboration, we’ll make some Creative Commons reporting free for all to republish and use across various mediums.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND
HOW THIS COMPLEMENTS OTHER WORK + HOW IT STARTED
We know that some newsrooms are already thinking about this, and some are even building teams to focus on democracy, like at the Washington Post. Newsrooms like KPCC and the Long Beach Post, meanwhile, are shifting their political coverage to focus on democratic erosion and the voters themselves. We hope this effort will light a fire under newsrooms that haven’t yet thought about this coverage strategically.
We’re organizing this initiative with support from media industry groups, several of which have already signed on to support the effort. This idea is initially being developed by Jennifer Brandel, co-founder and CEO of Hearken and lead strategist on Election SOS and Democracy SOS; Stefanie Murray, director of the Center for Cooperative Media; Bridget Thoreson, member collaborations editor at INN; and me, Rachel Glickhouse, learning and labs director at News Revenue Hub. We’re hopeful that an organizational sponsor and funding to manage the project could help us jumpstart this effort.
We believe this effort will encourage more and better reporting on the anti-democratic threats we face. And we hope our actions will serve our country and help protect the rights we hold dear — before it’s too late.
📺 WATCH PREVIOUS DEMOCRACY DAY WEBINARS
August 2024: This U.S. Democracy Day virtual workshop features Kyle Spencer, author of “Raising Them Right: The Untold Story of America’s Ultra-Right Youth Movement and Its Plot for Power.” In this session, Spencer shares valuable insights on how local journalists can effectively cover far-right groups in their communities with nuance and gravitas. She discusses strategies for identifying extremist groups, understanding their tactics, and reporting on them responsibly.
July 2024: Co-produced by Grist and Democracy Day, this panel will provide local reporters with answers to some pretty big questions: What are the major climate issues that could be affected by the 2024 election? How do I determine their impacts on my community? And, crucially, how can I report on these topics without sending everyone into a doom spiral?
May 2024: The 2024 presidential election presents both unprecedented challenges and opportunities for journalists covering it. In this interactive webinar, we will delve into strategies for incorporating equity into election and democracy coverage, showcasing successful examples from the field. This 90-minute session promises extensive audience engagement, ensuring that attendees leave with a solid grasp of how to prioritize equity in their campaign reporting.
Feb. 2024: The webinar was led by Chris Baxter and Joanna Zuckerman-Bernstein from Spotlight PA, who provided an overview of the organization’s mission and revenue generation approach. They emphasized the importance of aligning editorial content with fundraising efforts and shared insights into their fundraising success. The multi-channel membership revenue strategy involves setting annual and monthly revenue targets, tracking progress weekly, and making real-time adjustments to ensure goals are met.
Read the latest:
Guide: Misinfo stories you can report right now — and how to find them — with a new dashboard from the News Literacy Project
By Dan Evon, Senior Education Design Manager for the News Literacy Project
U.S. Democracy Day announces $40K in reporting stipends for 2024
By Beatrice Forman, U.S. Democracy Day
How do you cover democracy in the U.S.? Start with these story ideas
By Beatrice Forman, U.S. Democracy Day
Media educators: Prepare for election season with this free curriculum
By Jane Elizabeth, Consult Creative LLC
U.S. Democracy Day celebrates two years of impact with first-ever report
By Beatrice Forman, Center for Cooperative Media
Hundreds of journalists across the country participate in U.S. Democracy Day 2023
By Joe Amditis, Center for Cooperative Media
New batch of freelance stories now available for republication by Democracy Day reporting partners
By Center for Cooperative Media
How to create an FAQ about your reporting
By Joy Mayer, Executive Director of Trusting News
Get on the record about how you cover democracy
By Joy Mayer, Executive Director of Trusting News
Democracy reporting takes center stage at 2023 Collaborative Journalism Summit
By Joe Amditis, Center for Cooperative Media
Beatrice Forman joins U.S. Democracy Day team as new project coordinator
By Joe Amditis, Center for Cooperative Media
U.S. Democracy Day welcomes new advisory board for 2023 collaboration
By Joe Amditis, Center for Cooperative Media
Here’s how we organized a nationwide pro-democracy reporting collaborative
By Joe Amditis, Center for Cooperative Media
Beyond the ‘Democracy Desk’: Why U.S. newsrooms need to become explicitly pro-democracy
By Jay Rosen, professor of journalism, New York University
The power of democracy and why journalists must work together to protect it
By Michael Bolden, CEO and Executive Editor, American Press Institute
QUESTIONS? NEED MORE INFO? GET IN TOUCH!
💝 Email us for more info about how to financially support Democracy Day.
The Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University is providing infrastructure support for this iteration of Democracy Day, so you can contact us at [email protected].
Still have questions? Contact the Center for Cooperative Media directly by sending an email to [email protected].
WHO IS FUNDING THIS PROJECT?
The Democracy Day project is supported by Democracy Fund and Hearken and sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.