August 6, 2020 - Coalition of Women’s Organizations Warn Media Against Sexist and Racist Coverage of Presidential Running Mate


Ahead of Biden’s selection of a woman running mate, TIME’S UP Now and a coalition of women’s organizations issue an open letter to news media that states: “We believe it is your job to, not just pay attention to [gender and racial] stereotypes, but to actively work to be anti-racist and anti-sexist in your coverage (ie: equal) as this political season progresses and this Presidential ticket is introduced. As much as you have the public’s trust, you also have great power. We urge you to use it wisely.” They warn that they will be monitoring and calling out unfair coverage, as they did for the duration of the campaign via an initiative called #WeHaveHerBack. This visible and coordinated campaign reflects progress from earlier campaigns with women presidential candidates and running mates, where the sexism they confronted from media and others was not as explicitly or strongly called out in an organized fashion. Moreover, this coalition seeks to pre-empt sexist and/or racist coverage instead of simply reacting to it.