Last year, as part of our participation in Democracy Day, The Objective committed to hiring a correspondent to cover the intersection of journalism and democracy.

We struggled to choose just one correspondent ... which is why this month we’re excited to announce The Objective is bringing on two Democracy Correspondents: Uyiosa Elegon and Jacob Gardenswartz. 

Elegon is a facilitator and co-founder of Shift Press, a youth media organization that helps young people move power through story sharing and media education programs.

Gardenswartz has covered legal issues and the White House for NBC News, and contributed to The New Republic, Vox, and The Wyoming Truth, among other places. Both correspondents will be covering the intersection of journalism and Democracy, but are excited to fill the gaps in different spaces. 

Elegon told me he is interested in focusing on “how money either supports or antagonizes the work of movement journalism organizations across the nation,” as well as how different outlets define democracy and how young people can take up space in and against the journalism field. 

Gardenswartz said that he’s often seen journalism as “reactive as opposed to proactive” and “always trying to respond to criticism or improve on past wrongs.” Instead, he wants to push organizations to intentionally consider what they’re failing to report on and contextualize. In conversations he’s had with news leaders at legacy or mainstream outlets, many refuse to engage with the idea they’re making a choice when framing their coverage. 

“More often than not, news leaders I’ve spoken to have brushed off the choice. But every decision is a means of promoting or minimizing democracy,” he said. “And I’m interested in the ways news organizations do or don’t make those choices.”

Elegon said the opportunity to support democratic movements through this role, by looking at how mainstream journalism has failed minorities in the U.S., is an exciting opportunity. 

“Journalism in America has not always championed democracy for minoritized people, so this opportunity to write at the intersection of journalism and democracy means a lot to me as a person who's interested in supporting the many democratic and strong movements that minoritized people lead in this country,” Elegon said. 

Expect coverage from both correspondents in the coming weeks. And if you are interested in suggesting a story for either correspondent to follow, feel free to reply directly to this newsletter with your ideas. 

– Gabe Schneider

Unlivable wages shouldn’t define journalism internships. For The Objective, Anissa Durham writes about the ways cheap or free labor is a defining characteristic of journalism internships. Read more here.

Q&A: Rebuild Local News. The Objective’s editorial director James Salanga spoke with Steven Waldman, from the The Rebuild Local News coalition, about the landscape of local news today, what models of local coverage he’s excited about and more. Read more here.

NICAR 2023 accessibility guide. Holden Foreman, Accessibility Engineer at The Washington Post, presented at this year’s NICAR conference on how to create an accessibility-minded team or role at your newsroom. The guide takes a look at stories like this January’s decision by the U.S. State Department to phase out the use of serif fonts. Read more here.

Journalists and prison abolition. Prism’s editor-at-large Tina Vásquez writes about the duty journalists have to resist “industry-typical copaganda” and engage in informative reporting that breaks the myth of unfettered objectivity. “Those who claim to adhere to this objectivity only contribute to reporting that lacks meaning, context, and understanding of the consequences faced by communities that cannot afford to remain neutral.” Read more here.

J. K. Rowling’s exclusionary feminism. For Assigned Media, Evan Urquhart examines how J.K. Rowling’s views have devolved into full-scale anti-trans propaganda — often centered in deeply sexist beliefs. Urquhart’s piece also points to the major irony of Rowling’s argument of so-called censorship — an argument she makes on a public podcast that is entirely about her views. Read more here.

Guide to investigating disability issues. GIJN staff members compiled a multi-chapter guide on covering disability issues in the media, pointing journalists to sources that help understand disabilities and the difference between medical and social analyses behind them. It also highlights reliable entities that reporters can seek for databases and use to ensure language accuracy. Read more here.

21 days until the … Diverse Women in Media Initiative hosted by the National Association of Latino Independent Producers in Los Angeles (West Hollywood to be specific). This member-exclusive event brings women across various sectors of the media industry to host panels on the direction of journalism and how reporters can build their connections within it.

22 days until the … Maynard 200 Fellowship Deadline, which is on March 31st. The Maynard Institute’s fellowship kicks off in June to help train journalists and storytellers to dismantle structural racism in a white-dominated media industry. The tuition-free program also offers one-on-one mentorship opportunities from industry experts and helps connect mentees to various opportunities in journalism. 

23 days until the … 2023 D.C. Journalism Job Fair hosted by Georgetown University’s Master of Professional Studies in Journalism program, and organized in conjunction with the Washington, D.C., chapters of NAHJ, NABJ, AAJA, NLGJA, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Journalism & Women Symposium. The event costs $10-$25 to attend. 

Looking for a job? Here are a few places to look: INN | ONA | JournalismJobs.com | 10 Jobs and a Dog | NABJ | AAJA | NAHJ | NLGJA | @WritersofColor | MEO Jobs | Freelance Journalist Rates | Source Jobs | Opportunities of the Week ($)   

How about a style guide? Trans Journalist Association | Diversity Style Guide | Tribal Nations Media Guide | NABJ Style Guide | Disability Language Style Guide | AAJA Guide to Covering Asian Pacific America | NAHJ Cultural Competence Handbook |  SPJ Race & Gender Hotline | AMEJA Media Resource Guide | The Press in Prison | The Conscious Style Guide

Thanks for reading. We’ll have more for you soon. 

This issue is by Nawar Nemeh and Gabe Schneider with editing by Curtis Yee.