Welcome to API’s Election Resource Guide, this month’s Need to Know Special Edition. As news organizations enter the final stretch before Nov. 5, we’ll share actionable lists, articles and guides to help you prepare to address misinformation and navigate Election Day while keeping well-being at top of mind.
What has already been a tumultuous election season is only expected to ramp up in the weeks to come, along with news media’s workload, stress and intensity. Reaching underserved communities, addressing misinformation, building trust and enabling people to participate in the democratic process is critical work — and the weight of such responsibilities can lead to compassion fatigue, anxiety, burnout and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Journalists need support for their mental health to continue to cover the most pressing issues.
If you want a truly accurate and helpful public square, one capable of helping a pluralistic democratic republic survive, you have to think about the well-being of the people who make up the press. When journalists’ mental health suffers, so does our democracy. It makes it more likely that the Fourth Estate, an independent check on our three branches of government, will make mistakes, lose focus or be overwhelmed in its mission. When journalists thrive, they can better analyze complex issues, ask tough questions and connect with the communities who need to be both seen and heard.
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Each week will offer a combination of frameworks to inspire new approaches to your election coverage and strategic suggestions you can put in place right away. Look for an idea that aligns with your organization’s mission or your community’s needs, and dig into resources to try it out.
We have an opportunity to facilitate civic discourse within our communities in a way that’s mutually beneficial. But if we don’t do this work thoughtfully — if we show up with a rigid agenda and our own goals — it can cause more harm than good.
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