by Andrea Beaty
During the Primary season, candidates of the same party challenge each other. Sometimes they are tough on each other. They are trying to sway voters to pick them as the party nominee over their competition.
Each party has a national convention, where members from each state meet to pick the presidential candidate. Conventions are gigantic events with speeches, funny hats, signs, more speeches, singing, voting, more speeches, more funny hats, more speeches, and balloons! And speeches! So many speeches!
Finally, the party candidate is nominated. Everyone in the party gathers to support that person against the other party’s nominee, and the general election begins!
GENERAL ELECTION BEGINS!
The General Election is the final push toward election day. At this point, there are only two main candidates: one from each major party. The candidates spend the fall traveling the country trying to get people excited to vote for them. There are debates, rallies, speeches, news interviews, and other events to get attention for the candidate.
News organizations and other media outlets spend an enormous amount of time trying to figure out who will win the race. Voters might be interested in this horse-race view of the election, but information on the candidates’ records and ideas are more important. Voters must get informed to understand the issues and what each candidate might do if elected.
JOURNALISM
Journalism is the act of gathering and sharing information about things that happen. Journalists tell us the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” of events. Journalists share their findings in print, online, on TV, on the radio, and in other formats.
The United States has a free press, which means that the government cannot control or influence what is reported. A free press acts like a watchdog and helps citizens know when its officials are doing their jobs well and when they are not. It can even reveal abuses of power or illegal actions.
Journalism and a free press are essential to a thriving democracy.
A journalist’s job is to report the truth. That means accurately reporting facts. They must make sure the facts can be proven. Journalists also give facts a context so people can understand them. Journalists have a responsibility to point out errors, missing information, and even lies from leaders. The loyalty of journalists is to the readers, not to the people who pay their salaries or print their work or who have political power or other kinds of power.
There are many kinds of journalists. All base their work on verifiable facts and make an honest effort to analyze those facts.
• Reporters collect facts and report stories.
• Columnists explain their point of view on a topic.
• Editorial cartoonists use art and often humor to express an opinion of a news event.
• Editorial writers express the views of the publication on a topic.
News sources that uphold the principles of good journalism help citizens to understand what is happening. However, not all sources that claim to be news sources do this. Some distort the truth or spread false information. They can do this by reporting incorrect information or by leaving out important details.
Being a journalist is hard work. It can also be dangerous work. In many countries, a journalist who disagrees with the government or who reports on the government’s bad actions can be attacked or thrown in prison or worse. Freedom of the press is a right that can be lost if it is not protected.
Democracy danger: Pay attention when politicians call journalists bad names because they do not like the stories that are reported. Ask yourself why the politician is trying to make people doubt the story. Do your research. Are the reporters doing their jobs and using evidence? Do other credible news outlets confirm the reporting?
Democracy danger: Beware of anyone who calls the free press the “enemy of the people.” These words have been used by tyrants for centuries. They are powerful and dangerous words meant to make people stop trusting facts. Once the people stop believing facts, they are easy to fool. People who are easily fooled are easily taken advantage of by bad leaders. That is when democracy fails. That is when fear and violence govern instead of laws. Always be suspicious of a leader who says this!
HOW TO SPOT AND STOP FAKE NEWS
• Check who created the content before believing it or sharing it. Is it a real person or group known to share valid information? Are they credible? If the information is from a group or website, figure out who they are. What is their mission?
• Check the date. An old story might not be fake, but it might not have all the current helpful information, either. Having current, credible information is important.
• Read more than the headline of a news story. Headlines grab your attention, but they don’t always match the content of the article. People who spread wrong opinions based only on headlines add to public confusion.
• Is the story confirmed by other credible news sources? Most news stories are reported first by one news outlet, but soon, if the story is based on fact, other outlets will confirm the story themselves and report on it, too. They may even add additional facts and details they discovered during their confirmation of the story. If you cannot find several credible news sources to confirm a story, it might not be true. Does your source give supporting links or resources? Are they valid? Can you find other credible sources by doing some research?
• These nonpartisan websites can help you to fact-check news stories:
Factcheck.org: Fact-checks what is said by politicians, TV ads, interviews, press releases, and more.
Politifact.com: The site’s Truth-O-Meter ranks the statements of politicians from “True” to “Pants on Fire”!
Snopes.com: Checks facts on many wild “fake news” stories.
• Remember that a political meme is someone’s attempt to sway you. Not to inform you.
• Is it satire? Satire is a type of comedy that uses wit, irony, or sarcasm to mirror the actual news. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference.
• Read many, many sources and compare how they cover the same story. Think about how the reports differ and what those differences might reveal about the news sources. Reading widely will help you figure out which sources are trying to sway you with false information or by leaving out important details.
GET OUT THE VOTE!
Voting is a right but also a big responsibility. Voters should prepare to vote by becoming informed about topics that affect them and their families, communities, states, countries, and planet. Also, voters should learn about the experience and records of candidates, as well as the candidates’ plans for the country if they are elected. Remember: Read. Question. Think!
While we elect others to hold office, helping your country is everyone’s job. It is serious and important and demands from each of us our best and most courageous selves.
Our elections and our democracy only work when EVERYONE gets informed and gets involved.
WHY VOTE?
There are many important reasons to vote:
• Voting has consequences. Voting gives you a say in what happens in your community/city/state/country. Elections can even affect the planet! You must be informed and vote wisely.
• Not voting has consequences. If you don’t vote, you give up your power to make change. AND you give your power to the people who do vote. Can you be sure they want the same things you want—or need?
• Voting honors those who fought for your right to vote. History is filled with people who struggled, sacrificed, and even died for your right to vote. Respect that.
• Even if an election doesn’t affect you directly, the outcome could be very important to others in your community. Get informed and think about how your vote could help children or the homeless or any other group that might not have a voice. Your vote can make a difference in their lives. Use your power to help them.
• Even if you are too young to vote now, you will be old enough very soon. Prepare now by learning all you can about your community, city, state, country,
and planet. Make a habit of getting informed. Seek out reliable news sources every day. Read. Question. Think. That’s your job.
Democracy is complicated. It is difficult. It is exciting and it is powerful. Democracy is also fragile. It depends on each of us doing our best to protect it. Democracy depends on each of us getting informed and staying informed. It depends on each of us getting involved and staying involved. Always.
Democracy is not somebody else’s job.
It is your job. You do it by knowing what is going on in your community, city, state, country, and planet and doing what you can to make it better. It is hard work. But it is how you can help others. It is how you can make a difference.
Read! Question! Think!
And remember . . . there is always help at the library!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ANDREA BEATY is the bestselling author of the Questioneers series, as well as many other books, including Dorko the Magnificent, Secrets of the Cicada Summer, Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies, and Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeau. She has a degree in biology and computer science and spent many years in the computer industry. She now writes children’s books in her home outside Chicago.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
DAVID ROBERTS has illustrated many books, including the Questioneers series, The Cook and the King, and Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeau. He lives in London, where, when not drawing, he likes to make hats.
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