Elevating Democracy Reporting: A Guide for Journalists

In the fast-paced world of political journalism, it’s easy to get caught up in the “horse race”— the polls, the predictions and the political dramas that dominate headlines. However, the very essence of our democracy hinges on issues like safeguarding voting rights and ensuring equal access to the democratic process. Journalists must not only focus on the places where civil liberties are being undermined; they must also document who is making progress in addressing those problems and describe how change is being made.

As part of the Solutions Journalism Network’s seminar series on covering democracy in fall 2023, we asked a number of leading journalists to address the challenges and opportunities in stepping away from the horse race and dedicating more resources to covering democracy. They offered tips on everything from the need to understand the intricacies of election administration to humanizing coverage and examining progress as well as problems.