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“USA”: 2022 midterm election coverage shouldn't repeat this mistake when it comes to women

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February 9, 2022

“USA”: 2022 midterm election coverage shouldn't repeat this mistake when it comes to women

Source: NBC News

By Amanda Brown Lierman

By many accounts, the 2022 midterm elections will be the first “referendum” on Democrats after more than a year of fighting to fulfill President Biden’s agenda. Key issues will flip-flop, polling will be variable and turnout will be uncertain.

As reporters gear up to cover these elections, I have a message for those who have any interest in conveying the whole story: Please, for the love of God, stop focusing solely on white women.

The 2021 Virginia governor’s race was the latest example of why this hyperfocused reporting is a problem. In response to Republican gains across the country, outlets published article after article about how white women voted, pundits discussed the issues that motivated them and opinion pieces argued about what Democrats failed to do to woo them into the fold.

Click here to read the full article published by NBC News on 4 February 2022.

Author
Amanda Brown Lierman
Publisher
NBC News
Publication year
2022
Focus areas
Demonstrators march during a Freedom Ride for Voting Rights rally in Washington on June 26, 2021.Stefani Reynolds / Bloomberg via Getty Images file

By Amanda Brown Lierman

By many accounts, the 2022 midterm elections will be the first “referendum” on Democrats after more than a year of fighting to fulfill President Biden’s agenda. Key issues will flip-flop, polling will be variable and turnout will be uncertain.

As reporters gear up to cover these elections, I have a message for those who have any interest in conveying the whole story: Please, for the love of God, stop focusing solely on white women.

The 2021 Virginia governor’s race was the latest example of why this hyperfocused reporting is a problem. In response to Republican gains across the country, outlets published article after article about how white women voted, pundits discussed the issues that motivated them and opinion pieces argued about what Democrats failed to do to woo them into the fold.

Click here to read the full article published by NBC News on 4 February 2022.

Author
Amanda Brown Lierman
Publisher
NBC News
Publication year
2022
Focus areas