When it comes to reporting on elections and democracy, the conventional approach often focuses too much on polling numbers and candidate statements, overlooking the vital concerns of the affected communities.
The usual focus on winners and losers leaves us asking “What about the people?” More and more journalists and scholars believe that it’s time for a change, a move towards a more inclusive journalism that puts communities first.
"There IS an alternative to the traditional horse-race election coverage with its focus on polls and public perception. One that builds public trust, reduces polarization, and helps communities solve problems," said Jaisal Noor, Democracy Initiative manager at The Solutions Journalism Network.
Noor will lead a panel of experts in the next free webinar organized by the Journalism Courses program from the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas.
“Putting People First: A New Approach to Political Coverage” is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 6, from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm ET. Click here to find the time in your city. This hour-long session will be conducted in English.
In addition to Noor, the panel includes:
Don't miss out – sign up for the webinar on Zoom today. To register, use your account on Zoom or simply create a new account – it’s a quick and easy process. After setting up your account, use the same email to complete the webinar registration on Zoom.
"Many newsrooms around the world want to do a better job covering elections. This webinar will help those who want an effective alternative to horse-race coverage, which is polarizing and often misleading," Noor said. "Instead, work toward building trust, strengthening democracy, and providing voters with meaningful information — while still holding politicians to account."
The webinar is just the beginning. During this session, the Knight Center will announce a new massive open online course (MOOC) scheduled for April. This course will guide participants through essential skills like engagement, solutions journalism and trust-building, offering powerful alternatives to the conventional "horse-race" coverage.
“The webinar and the free online course that will be announced for April are part of a bigger effort of our Journalism Courses program to reach thousands of journalists around the world who will be covering elections in this very special year, when half of the planet will be voting,” said professor Rosental Alves, founder and director of the Knight Center. “This is an unprecedented election year, with 64 countries holding elections. We want to help journalists and news organizations as much as possible to be better equipped to cover them.”
Secure your spot today for the free webinar “Putting People First: A New Approach to Political Coverage” and mark your calendars to join us as we transform political coverage and put people first.
