Nieman Foundation at Harvard
Editor’s note: With mis- and disinformation campaigns heating up, a vacancy on the Supreme Court, and a President who refuses to commit to accepting the results, the 2020 election arrives at a period of extraordinary uncertainty and tension. Nieman Reports and Nieman Lab are publishing a collection of stories exploring how newsrooms are covering this intensely contested vote and its aftermath.
What do newsrooms need to cover the election right now? More people, for starters. Two new initiatives — Votebeat and Election SOS Fellowship — have been launched to help resource-strapped outlets cover a contested and highly consequential election by pairing them with local reporters and emerging journalists.
Votebeat, a pop-up project focused on funding local reporters to cover election administration and voting in key states, is being built on the fly. There’s no official landing page — just a Google sheet and Twitter thread from Elizabeth Green, the founder and CEO of Chalkbeat — but Green says her scrappy idea is moving forward thanks to ProPublica’s Electionland project, Institute for Nonprofit News, and other philanthropic partners.
🗳 Okay, that worked! Votebeat is happening: a pop-up newsroom of local reporters covering voting and election administration before and after Nov 3. If the potential of a disputed election has you concerned, keep reading. https://t.co/hvFqFhveoE
— Elizabeth Green (@elizwgreen) September 25, 2020
Green’s original idea called for local reporters to be placed in 23 key states before Election Day but she told me they’ve since narrowed that scope “after learning more about local needs.” Votebeat is currently confirmed to have reporters in six states and they’re hoping to add three additional states in coming weeks.
Hard truth: We are awash in presidential election news, but still lack enough local reporting on how America will successfully vote in a pandemic. With 10K+ election boards in the U.S., we run the risk of each county finding its own unique way to botch an unprecedented election.
— Elizabeth Green (@elizwgreen) September 9, 2020
What if we could change that? We don’t have much time, but we can still make a difference. There are 23 battleground states. What if we could hire 2 reporters to cover election administration in each of those places for 3 months, bolstering work already being done? #votebeat
— Elizabeth Green (@elizwgreen) September 9, 2020
Green wrote that several state-wide newsrooms — including The Texas Tribune, Mountain State Spotlight, Vermont Digger, and Spotlight PA — have already agreed to participate. They’re looking for additional newsrooms willing to host reporters, assign stories, and distribute election-related work. (Local reporters can signal their interest here.)
In our opinion, the hard part here isn’t just raising money to pay the reporters. The hard part is proving that reporters and local newsrooms are ready to step into action.
— Elizabeth Green (@elizwgreen) September 9, 2020
And local newsrooms: Would you be willing to run point in your communities if we could get the funding? That means taking in these reporters, assigning stories, and ultimately distributing the coverage to your partners. https://t.co/bNtnCN4yX2
— Elizabeth Green (@elizwgreen) September 9, 2020
Election SOS has also launched a program to provide newsrooms with extra hands to cover the election. The paid fellowship, run by the engagement consulting firm Hearken with financial backing from the American Press Institute and The Democracy Fund, will be staffed by student journalists and recent graduates.
The fellows placed by Election SOS will support their host publications by contributing research, doing community engagement, and compiling voter guides. The emerging journalists will also help the newsrooms they’re paired with “monitor social networks for breaking news, polling, militia activity, and voter suppression.”
The fellowship application period has closed but interested journalism students and reporters can register for the group’s free training sessions.
Local newsrooms need people!
👇
Enter Election SOS Fellowship Program.Read this piece by @christianalilly to learn why we launched this fellowship and how to apply: https://t.co/r2wcrUlgWc
— Hearken (@wearehearken) September 24, 2020
APPLY NOW! DEADLINE 9/29 @NABJ. #ElectionSOS is offering fellowships. $25/hour to work 8 to 30 hours per week. Selected fellows begin 10/5. Work Up to and after Election Day. Virtual or, if feasible and safe, in person. https://t.co/3tRqdc8mw4 DEADLINE 9/29.
— Dorothy Tucker NABJ (@Dorothy4NABJ) September 25, 2020
