Getting beyond symbolism to substance

“Next year presents a fresh opportunity for journalists to get past the sparkle of the ‘first’ and into the substance of how women and people of color campaign, get elected, and govern.”

The start of 2021 saw the historic inauguration of Vice President Kamala Harris as our country’s second most powerful person — the first time a woman has had the distinction of serving in the role.

President Joe Biden has also nominated and appointed a record number of women and people of color to his administration, several of whom are pioneers in their respective offices. And several Black women broke barriers this year to become the first mayors of their race and gender in cities across the country.

Many of these “firsts” stepped into the spotlight and were touted for their ceiling-breaking accomplishments. But what does it all really mean?

Less attention has been paid, particularly at the national level, to their actual governing. What they do in office is at least as important for changing attitudes and imaginations in our democracy about who gets to lead as the novelty in them being first. How they perform directly impacts what representation and power look like, and how the leadership of women, ethnic minorities, and other marginalized groups becomes normalized in our political coverage.

Recent headlines about Harris have ranged from a focus on disarray in her office to incredulity over her use of Bluetooth headphones to an uproar over her purchase of an expensive cooking pot during a diplomatic trip to France.

Harris is being urged to reset her tenure as bad press fuels questions about her competency and political future. Similar public scrutiny has been lobbed at countless elected politicians at some point in their tenure. And everyone moves on. The difference here is that historic and institutional firsts are easier targets because of their newness.

To be curious as journalists is not to treat these candidates and elected officials as curiosities. Stories that show them just doing their jobs — shaping and implementing policy, meeting with local, state, national, and world leaders, even interacting with their families — display their leadership in ways that capture both the political with the personal and help to familiarize the foreign.

As journalists, holding the powerful accountable through reporting that evaluates their leadership isn’t just fair game — it’s part of our job. Harris’ political and governing missteps as vice president are newsworthy. And while palace intrigue and cultural moments also come with covering any administration, such coverage should be balanced with stories on what women and ethnic minority leaders like the vice president are actually doing on the issues they can reasonably influence.

Next year presents a fresh opportunity for journalists to get past the sparkle of the “first” and into the substance of how women and people of color campaign, get elected, and govern. At least five Black women will attempt to become America’s first Black woman governor. Getting beyond their symbolism to scrutinize their campaigns and policy pledges — as we should do with any candidate — helps voters to envision a competent person of any gender or color in roles that have been traditionally filled by people who are male and white.

We would do well not to let our initial coverage of these firsts be the last words we write on their political careers. Otherwise, we risk reducing the potentially transformative to the performative.

Errin Haines is editor-at-large at The 19th.

The start of 2021 saw the historic inauguration of Vice President Kamala Harris as our country’s second most powerful person — the first time a woman has had the distinction of serving in the role.

President Joe Biden has also nominated and appointed a record number of women and people of color to his administration, several of whom are pioneers in their respective offices. And several Black women broke barriers this year to become the first mayors of their race and gender in cities across the country.

Many of these “firsts” stepped into the spotlight and were touted for their ceiling-breaking accomplishments. But what does it all really mean?

Less attention has been paid, particularly at the national level, to their actual governing. What they do in office is at least as important for changing attitudes and imaginations in our democracy about who gets to lead as the novelty in them being first. How they perform directly impacts what representation and power look like, and how the leadership of women, ethnic minorities, and other marginalized groups becomes normalized in our political coverage.

Recent headlines about Harris have ranged from a focus on disarray in her office to incredulity over her use of Bluetooth headphones to an uproar over her purchase of an expensive cooking pot during a diplomatic trip to France.

Harris is being urged to reset her tenure as bad press fuels questions about her competency and political future. Similar public scrutiny has been lobbed at countless elected politicians at some point in their tenure. And everyone moves on. The difference here is that historic and institutional firsts are easier targets because of their newness.

To be curious as journalists is not to treat these candidates and elected officials as curiosities. Stories that show them just doing their jobs — shaping and implementing policy, meeting with local, state, national, and world leaders, even interacting with their families — display their leadership in ways that capture both the political with the personal and help to familiarize the foreign.

As journalists, holding the powerful accountable through reporting that evaluates their leadership isn’t just fair game — it’s part of our job. Harris’ political and governing missteps as vice president are newsworthy. And while palace intrigue and cultural moments also come with covering any administration, such coverage should be balanced with stories on what women and ethnic minority leaders like the vice president are actually doing on the issues they can reasonably influence.

Next year presents a fresh opportunity for journalists to get past the sparkle of the “first” and into the substance of how women and people of color campaign, get elected, and govern. At least five Black women will attempt to become America’s first Black woman governor. Getting beyond their symbolism to scrutinize their campaigns and policy pledges — as we should do with any candidate — helps voters to envision a competent person of any gender or color in roles that have been traditionally filled by people who are male and white.

We would do well not to let our initial coverage of these firsts be the last words we write on their political careers. Otherwise, we risk reducing the potentially transformative to the performative.

Errin Haines is editor-at-large at The 19th.

A.J. Bauer

Zizi Papacharissi

Millie Tran

Victor Pickard

Matt DeRienzo

Doris Truong

Shalabh Upadhyay

Natalia Viana

Errin Haines

Sarah Marshall

Christina Shih

Paul Cheung

Izabella Kaminska

Sarah Stonbely

Stefanie Murray

Laxmi Parthasarathy

Simon Allison

Joe Amditis

An Xiao Mina

Cindy Royal

Tom Trewinnard

Andrew Freedman

John Davidow

Janelle Salanga

Nikki Usher

Mike Rispoli

Cherian George

Kendra Pierre-Louis

Gordon Crovitz

Ståle Grut

Jonas Kaiser

Joy Mayer

Kristen Jeffers

Michael W. Wagner

Christoph Mergerson

Larry Ryckman

Burt Herman

Jody Brannon

Joshua P. Darr

Tamar Charney

Amy Schmitz Weiss

Kristen Muller

Melody Kramer

Jesse Holcomb

Anita Varma

Don Day

Chicas Poderosas

Jennifer Brandel

David Cohn

Jessica Clark

Meena Thiruvengadam

Jim Friedlich

Rachel Glickhouse

Candace Amos

Gabe Schneider

Amara Aguilar

Eric Nuzum

Matthew Pressman

Francesco Zaffarano

Catalina Albeanu

Anika Anand

Parker Molloy

Sam Guzik

Alice Antheaume

Raney Aronson-Rath

Robert Hernandez

Kathleen Searles & Rebekah Trumble

Tony Baranowski

S. Mitra Kalita

Jesenia De Moya Correa

Julia Angwin

Joanne McNeil

j. Siguru Wahutu

Julia Munslow

Anthony Nadler

Mandy Jenkins

Mario García

James Green

Gonzalo del Peon

Cristina Tardáguila

Joni Deutsch

Richard Tofel

Juleyka Lantigua

Chase Davis

Ariel Zirulnick

Rasmus Kleis Nielsen

Brian Moritz

Mary Walter-Brown

Kerri Hoffman

Wilson Liévano

Moreno Cruz Osório

Stephen Fowler

Megan McCarthy

Daniel Eilemberg

Shannon McGregor & Carolyn Schmitt

Whitney Phillips

Simon Galperin

David Skok

Matt Karolian

Jennifer Coogan