Angelica Das is an associate director on the Public Square Team at Democracy Fund. Last month, during our annual journalism funders gathering, Angelica led a discussion about how funders are supporting each other, their staff and their grantees at a time of intense anxiety around the election.
If you’re feeling election anxiety, you’re not alone. The source of anxiety is unique to each of us: local vs. national election outcomes, navigating a deluge of mis- and disinformation, recovery from natural disasters, economic stress, or fear of physical and digital threats and harm.
For me, it’s the rise and threat of authoritarianism—an oppressive system that both sides of my family survived in different parts of the world, and ultimately left behind to start a new life in this country.
As my colleague, Josh Stearns, wrote in U.S. News & World Report, fact-based local journalism is one thing that stands between us and this rise of authoritarianism. Efforts to undermine trustworthy information are straight out of the authoritarian playbook. This is why it is so vital right now to support local and community news to act as a bulwark against these forces.
But even though that anxiety might feel crippling, it is not too late to take action. At last month’s JFunders24, the annual gathering of journalism funders hosted by Media Impact Funders, I had a chance to lead a rich discussion about our roles as funders, and the ways we can both prepare, respond, and care for our grantees and ourselves in the near future. The session surfaced a number of other ideas, including and beyond funding, that really point to our agency at a time when so much feels out of our control.
Below is a snapshot of some of the rich ideas and optimism that emerged. Consider taking these steps with your own team, grantees, or partners, and let us know if there are other tips and steps you’d add:
Funding: Not to state the obvious, but if you’re a funder who currently has access to resources, there are still ample opportunities to act in the interest of pro-democratic journalism in the immediate term.
Proactive care and connection:
- Proactively schedule time for (optional) check-ins in the coming weeks to check in on wellness, debrief on latest events, or simply time to connect and decompress.
- Take stock of health, physical, and mental wellness resources available. Share out proactively as relevant, rather than making people search for it.
- Take time off if you need it, cancel meetings if not needed, and communicate both your support and realistic capacity and availability.
Plan ahead:
- Map out key dates that are relevant to your work and grantees over the next few weeks. They can be the phases of the election, or unrelated milestones and events. Identify what you or your teams’ role is, and is not, in each of those phases.
- Set up a rapid response fund for your grantees that is easy to access and distribute.
- Preemptively set up access to legal support for grantees, and make sure they know about other legal and safety resources.
- Offer more formal scenario planning exercises or risk assessments to grantees.
- Move up grant payments, eliminate reporting requirements or ease grant restrictions. Convert project grants to general operating grants.
Lean into hope and joy:
- Countless past generations have faced seemingly insurmountable challenges, but perhaps our secret weapon, as theirs was, is holding space to dream and hope. Look for inspiration in art and prose, and take time to reimagine our futures.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Legal Guides, Explainers and Background on Political Violence
- Legal guides, fact sheets and explainers to prepare for and protect against political violence by the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection (ICAP)
- Media guide: Covering political violence by Protect Democracy
- Best practices for reporting that supports democracy and empowers the electorate by Election SOS
- The HOPE guide to help communities organize to counter political violence – by Harnessing Our Power to End Political Violence
Where and How to Get Help:
- Online Violence Response Hub by the Coalition Against Online Violence
- Security, safety and workshops for defending democracy by Democracy Security Project
- Tips for journalists to counter threats to democracy by Jenn Brandel via Poynter
- Election Urgent Care: Sign up for this slack for immediate connections for U.S. journalists to tools and resources in the post-election period
- 2024 Scenario Planning Guide from Election SOS
- Repoters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) Legal Resources for Journalists, including a legal hotline
This work, and the support needed for it, won’t end in November. If you are curious about other ways to do this type of preparation or support the field, don’t hesitate to reach out.