7 Groups to Know for Covering Women in Politics
A record number of women announced candidacies for the 2020 presidential election, and women comprise the majority of journalism students at American colleges and universities.
And yet, recent data shows male journalists dominate political coverage and quote female candidates just 28% of the time (compared to female political journalists, who quote women 42% of the time).
As more women throw their hats into the ring for political office, equal and accurate representation of female voices becomes even more imperative.
Here are seven organizations that can help:
1. Center for American Women and Politics (part of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers)
The mission: Promoting greater knowledge and understanding about the role of women in American politics, enhancing women’s influence in public life, and expanding the diversity of women in politics and government.
Useful data: Election-specific analyses, fact sheets on state and federal offices and women-of-color office-holders, and comprehensive voter-turnout statistics.
What’s new: 2020 Election Watch offers detailed race and candidate data, including rebound candidates, spotlights on woman vs. woman races, and historical analyses for context.
The start of congressional and state primaries is just 🚨ONE WEEK AWAY🚨
To prepare yourself, read this piece from CAWP's @claire_gothreau examining whether there will be an @AOC effect on the 2020 primaries:https://t.co/aTyfiQo6Yq
— CAWP (@CAWP_RU) February 25, 2020
2. EMILY’s List
The mission: Electing pro-choice Democratic women to office.
Useful data: Endorsements, official positions and quotes regarding political topics and proposed legislation, and research and data on women’s voting behaviors.
What’s new: Focus 2020, a project designed to impact the redistricting that will take place after the 2020 Census.
Are you thinking about running for office?
If you live in Nebraska, D.C., Georgia, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Iowa, Nevada, Idaho, Maine, Colorado, Utah, South Carolina, Missouri, or South Dakota, make sure you’re ready to file in March! Learn more: https://t.co/U9QINryV8b pic.twitter.com/Vvx0QwCEas
— EMILYs List (@emilyslist) February 24, 2020
3. Higher Heights for America
The mission: Expanding the elected representation and voting participation of black women and advancing progressive policies.
Useful data: Statistics on black women voters and representation in elected office, and annual reports on the status of black women in American politics.
What’s new: The Chisholm List highlights 50 black female office-holders at the state and federal levels who will have a major impact on U.S. policy over the next two years, according to the organization.
Check out @HigherHeights in the @washingtonpost, Re: Today's #BlackWomenVote Sunday Brunch live from Charleston, SC!–In South Carolina, black women talk Biden, Sanders — and the importance of voting by @WaPoVanessa https://t.co/XQFfL2NaAH
— HigherHeights (@HigherHeights) February 23, 2020
4. Maggie’s List
The mission: Increasing the number of conservative women elected to federal public office.
Useful data: Endorsements for primary and general elections.
What’s new: 35 endorsements to date for 2020 races.
This #GalentinesDay we’re celebrating amazing women running for office with our Dynamic Dozen endorsements! https://t.co/b9JJ0VIcMD
— Maggie's List (@maggieslist1) February 13, 2020
5. She Should Run
The mission: Dramatically increasing the number of women considering a run for public office. The nonpartisan nonprofit is focused on getting at least 250,000 women to run by 2030.
Useful data: An incubator program provides training and resources for women running for political office — more than 130 incubator members were on the ballot in 2018.
What’s new: A “Road to Run” multi-city tour for recruitment, training, and support.
A round of applause to all the women running for office 👏🏾. We never said it would easy, but it will be worth it! Take the first step towards considering a future run for office today ➡️ https://t.co/jeRG8EE0Ol pic.twitter.com/tI4CCR4msZ
— She Should Run (@SheShouldRun) February 26, 2020
6. Victory Institute
The mission: Increasing the number of LGBTQ people in public office.
Useful data: Research and white papers, including international data, and the Out for America interactive map, which shows known openly LGBTQ elected officials at all levels of government.
What’s new: The 2019 Out for America report analyzes the changing demographics of LGBTQ lawmakers and provides a full quantitative breakdown of LGBTQ elected representation in the U.S.
Are you an LGBTQ undergrad who’s interested in politics, policy and government? Apply by March 9 to join the summer cohort of the Victory Congressional Internship, the only national Congressional internship program for LGBTQ young people. https://t.co/MwxXIZ759S pic.twitter.com/7gI0Mx94X0
— LGBTQ+ Victory Institute (@VictoryInst) February 21, 2020
7. Women’s Media Center
The mission: The progressive, nonpartisan nonprofit works to raise the visibility, viability, and decision-making power of women and girls in media, thereby ensuring that their stories get told and their voices are heard.
Useful data: SheSource, an online database of diverse, media-experienced women experts who WMC connects to journalists, bookers, and producers looking for sources.
What’s new: The Status of Women in U.S. Media 2019 report features data from 94 studies regarding female representation in news, entertainment, tech, social media, gaming, and engineering.
“We’re providing a new starting line for those who come after us.” https://t.co/KcpZswCjyk
— Women's Media Center (@womensmediacntr) February 20, 2020
Subscribe to Beyond Bylines to get media trends, journalist interviews, blogger profiles, and more sent right to your inbox.
Sarah Roberts is a manager in Customer Content Services. In a previous life, she was a newspaper reporter in the Midwest. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, exploring the craft beer scene and petting all the dogs.
