As Virginia holds elections on Nov. 7, 2023, to fill all 140 seats in the state legislature, the results will likely offer insights on the nation’s political pulse. Voters’ preferences for Democrats or Republicans may well reflect how they feel about Joe Biden or Donald Trump – and about key issues such as abortion, the economy and public education.
The election also will hold important lessons for the nation’s journalists as they gear up for the 2024 presidential race.
As a journalism professor and diligent voter in Virginia, I’ve been closely following the news about the state’s upcoming elections. Much of the reporting has provided readers with stories about candidates’ qualifications and positions on critical issues – the kind of information voters need to cast their ballots.
But I also have seen articles that may discourage voting or undermine the democratic process. Those stories tend to hype fleeting scandals and mostly serve to generate clicks on social media.
What I have learned in my years studying the role of journalism in civic discussion is that democracies are best served when media coverage focuses on issues that affect society and people’s everyday lives and minimizes “horse race” reporting that obsesses over who is ahead in opinion surveys or fundraising.
At stake in Virginia
Journalism matters because elections have consequences.
Virginia is the only Southern state that has not put new restrictions on abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The legislative elections probably will determine whether abortions remain legal in Virginia through the second trimester, or 26 weeks, of a pregnancy.
Virginia’s off-year elections carry national significance because the state is a deep shade of purple.
Virginians favored Democrats in the past four presidential contests, but Republicans swept all three statewide races in 2021.
As Virginia holds elections on Nov. 7, 2023, to fill all 140 seats in the state legislature, the results will likely offer insights on the nation’s political pulse. Voters’ preferences for Democrats or Republicans may well reflect how they feel about Joe Biden or Donald Trump – and about key issues such as abortion, the economy and public education.
The election also will hold important lessons for the nation’s journalists as they gear up for the 2024 presidential race.
As a journalism professor and diligent voter in Virginia, I’ve been closely following the news about the state’s upcoming elections. Much of the reporting has provided readers with stories about candidates’ qualifications and positions on critical issues – the kind of information voters need to cast their ballots.
But I also have seen articles that may discourage voting or undermine the democratic process. Those stories tend to hype fleeting scandals and mostly serve to generate clicks on social media.
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