In the lead-up to 2020’s high-stakes, polarizing election, it seemed like we were all caught in endless battles over which candidate was displayed on yard signs and bumper stickers. Seeking an alternative to black-and white media reporting, Cortico was working with a number of media outlets on telling a different kind of story. 

Reflecting on this work, CEO Parisa Parsa wrote:

The challenge before us, the real battle after this election as we wait for results to be finalized is not to take up arms in the civil war that some are calling for from the fringes. It is to turn to one another to create the voice of the majority of people in this country and rise up to reclaim our connections in conversations that can forge new possibilities. As we build relationships, we build trust, and as we build trust we open up the power of creative problem solving. Together. It’s not flashy, it’s not easily Tweetable, but it’s real. And in the face of the alternatives, conversation and community problem solving is revolutionary. It’s the way we reclaim power, voice and agency in this ongoing experiment of democracy.

Read her full piece on Medium

Following are some of the stories produced through conversations hosted on our Local Voices Network (LVN). In these examples, constructive conversations were designed to build (or rebuild) lines of communication between elected officials, community members, journalists, and advocates.

America Amplified, a public reporting initiative that has worked extensively with LVN, has been  prominently featured in a Knight Foundation report, 7 Innovative Projects that Supported Local Election Coverage Across the Country. Here are a few examples of their community-driven election analysis:

• America is Anxious, Prepared and Hopeful Ahead of Election Day (October 31, 2020) Excerpt: Hosts Rose Scott of WABE in Atlanta and Luis Hernandez of Miami are both in battleground states, where millions of votes have already been cast, and spoke with residents about what it means to exercise civic rights in the midst of the pandemic.
• The Votes Are In, Now What? How America Should Move Forward (November 7, 2020) – Excerpt: This election has tested our democracy like none other in recent memory. Four long days after America voted on Nov. 3, former vice president Joe Biden became the projected winner of the 2020 presidential election. Voters endured long voting lines, mail-in ballots, pandemic protocols and in Georgia, it isn’t over — there will be runoff elections in January for U.S. Senate seats. Which is why it was so heartwarming to hear how much hope the guests on this episode of our “America Amplified: Election 2020” talk show have for the future.
• Healing America Will Take More Than an Election (November 14, 2020) – Excerpt: Heading into the election and in the days afterward, national discussion has centered on how divisive the country feels. Supporting one candidate — and a political party — has been enough to drive friends and family apart. This sentiment came up in an America Amplified listening session on November 10. The final episode of “America Amplified: Election 2020” included excerpts from that conversation.
• What National Politics Misses and What Gives Us Hope (October 24, 2020 ) Reactions from people across the country about what they heard — or, more importantly, did not hear — in the last presidential debate on Oct. 22. Foreign interference in the elections, immigration and the economy were top of mind.

NPR and America Amplified affiliate WABE reported a number of stories on voter perspectives in Atlanta and Georgia during the presidential election and protracted senate runoff:

• Black voters in Fayette County Hope for High Turnout in Georgia’s Runoffs (January 4, 2021) 
• Georgia Advocates Hope Young Black Progressive Voters Can Swing State Runoffs (December 29, 2020)
• Suburban Black Female Voters Aim to Make Their Voices Heard (October 30, 2020)

Other LVN media partners held listening sessions to identify the concerns and questions of their local audiences. For instance, Kansas City Beacon gave voice to Missouri and Kansas voters’ questions through LVN Highlights in their piece,  Everything You Need to Know On Election Day (November 2, 2020) and Capradio worked with LVN to hold listening sessions in Sacramento, CA – resulting in a number of locally-focused reports including:

• What do Meadowview Voters Want from Their Elected Officials (November 2, 2020)
• Questions from Residents – ‘Meadowview Counts’ (October 21,, 2020)

Community-responsive election reporting acknowledged that whatever the outcome of local or national elections, neighbors will still be neighbors, and local communities will still face myriad challenges that merit cooperation and collective problem-solving.