The media's hit-and-miss coverage of GOP voter suppression

False equivalencies and fear of conspiracy theories:

For corporate media, it’s safer to stay within the comfy template of false balance: Trump and the R’s say voter fraud is rampant; the D’s say it’s not. It is an improvement that some journalists are stating the obvious fact that voter fraud is a myth. But the debate seldom digs deeper. Doing so would require dealing with thorny issues that Americans tend to avoid in most public settings, namely the racism and inequality wrapped up in voter suppression. The “voter fraud—yes or no” conflict papers over all that.

While media outlets do (usually) acknowledge that voter fraud is a rare occurrence, they rarely point out the obvious follow-up point: That Republicans are using the myth to enact unnecessary laws that are targeted at minorities and college students. Read the whole thing. It's a harsh analysis, but it does provide some insight into the public's apparent lack of understanding on this important issue.

http://ift.tt/2bgAXs2