Media Guides: Covering Political Violence

Covering political violence and violent extremism can be a fraught endeavor for the media. In an environment of polarization, social tension, and widespread misinformation, it is essential but also challenging to avoid inadvertently spreading false narratives, fueling conflict, or providing platforms to extremists.

In partnership with Protect Democracy, we’re working with organizations like the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection to compile best practices into guides for newsrooms looking to accurately and responsibly cover political violence and violent extremism in a range of contexts.  

Each guide includes core principles, key questions reporters and editors can ask to guide coverage, examples of thoughtful coverage from a range of outlets, and links to additional resources on conflict sensitive reporting.

Additional guides will be posted on this page as they are developed. 

Media Guides:

• Reporting on Political Violence Risks Throughout the Election Cycle

• Headlines, Images, & Social Media

• Reporting on Violence at a Protest or Demonstration

• Reporting on Incendiary Rhetoric from Politicians

• Reporting on Violence Against Candidates

• Reporting on Extremism

If you have a topic that you would like to see covered in this series, please send your idea to laura@projectoverzero.org.

For broader communications guidance, also check out Over Zero’s 2020 memo with Dr. Anna Szilagyi: Reporting in Contentious Times, Insights for Journalists to Avoid Fanning the Flames and our collaboration with Pen America: Dos and Don’ts to Rise Above the Noise.