Tip sheets, explainers and research roundups to inform coverage of elections
Media scholar Thomas Patterson’s assessment of 2024 U.S. presidential election news coverage reminds him of years past: too few stories focusing on policy issues, and too many focusing on polls and overblown controversies.
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In this research-based tipsheet, we cover what journalists should know about the history of electoral violence in the U.S., whether Americans think political violence is justified and how election workers, also called poll workers, think about their jobs.
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To help journalists contextualize coverage of school board elections, we spotlight research on who votes in these elections, the role of teachers unions and how new board members can influence school segregation, funding and test scores.
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Elections in the U.S. are usually run at the local level. Figuring out who funds election administration can help you ask questions about whether funding levels are sufficient.
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A big reason voter registration rates vary so much in the U.S. is because states have their own election policies and processes, which can make registering easy or difficult. Election offices also differ in how they educate voters.
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People incarcerated for felony convictions lose the right to vote across most of the U.S., but specifics vary widely by state. We break down the nuances and recent trends — and highlight six studies journalists covering the topic should know.
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John Dickerson, who has covered eight U.S. presidential candidates in his career as a political journalist, offers tips for improving coverage of presidential campaigns and the presidency itself.
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We don’t yet know the full impact of artificial intelligence-generated deepfake videos on misinforming the electorate. And it may be the narrative around them — rather than the deepfakes themselves — that most undermines election integrity.
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Public elections for judges are often marked by low turnout and low information about the candidates. Find out how and why three newsrooms created guides to help voters understand judicial races — and eight tips to help your newsroom create its own judicial election guide.
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Voters with disabilities face a range of barriers, while compliance with disability access laws at polling sites is under-enforced.
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