Where was the coverage of the #HandsOff protests?
No push alerts, downplayed stories.
On Saturday, anti-Trump protestors, which journalist Jessica Yellin puts in the millions, took to the streets in all 50 states and beyond. Did you hear about it?
As the social media posts started to pour in, it hit me: I hadn’t received a push alert about the #HandsOff protests. I kept an eye on my phone, which is signed up for basically every notification from the New York Times, Washington Post, and Associated Press. I did not receive a single push notification that day related to the protests.
I started to look for the stories. The NYT’s deck indicated that people were protesting the “lack of strong opposition.” The Washington Post played it as a local story. And the Associated Press had the article as a minor story on the app’s homepage.
Social media told a very different story.
There have been so many times where I have felt like begging people to read the work that my news organization has produced. Many, many times where I’ve had to read comments about how “the media never covers” stories that we have definitely covered. But in moments like this, the entire industry needs to take a strong look at what happened on Saturday and understand that when people say they do not feel seen or do not feel that their life is reflected in the news, this is what they are talking about. When your reality is so different than what you read on the screen, why would you keep reading?
In a non-scientific poll, on Sunday I asked many of my friends not in journalism if they had heard about the protests. Some had seen social media posts or had a friend share a post. But some had no idea what I was talking about. That is staggering for a nationwide event.
There’s another protest planned for April 19. Maybe the coverage will be more robust.
What I’m reading
Parent Data: When “It Can’t Hurt” Actually Can
Yahoo: What is 'recession pop' — and why is it making a comeback?
The City: What the Eric Adams Party Switch-Up Means for the Mayor’s Race
The best thing I made this week
I didn’t make anything revolutionary this week, but I did order the Hostess cake from Little Cupcake Bakeshop for my husband’s birthday, and it did not disappoint.
See you next week,
Rachel
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