Dear traditional media: Do better by all of us on Build Back Better
newsdepo.com
A large group of advocacy organizations has penned an open letter to “Reporters, Editors, Producers, and Anchors” pleading with them to actually try to inform the public about the Build Back Better plan. They are very polite about it, acknowledging tDear traditional media: Do better by all of us on Build Back Better
A large group of advocacy organizations has penned an open letter to “Reporters, Editors, Producers, and Anchors” pleading with them to actually try to inform the public about the Build Back Better plan. They are very polite about it, acknowledging that it’s a difficult thing to do. “The omnibus nature of this bill and the policies therein present many challenges to newsrooms hoping to present a clear understanding of its contents and potential impacts on your readers, your communities, and the economy at large,” the groups, spearheaded by the National Women’s Law Center, write. But doing so is essential, they say because the “role of federal programs supporting and investing in families remains heavily stigmatized.” They point out that the stigma is against women and against people of color, and that that ”fuels misinformation and misrepresentation about who benefits from public programs.” Despite the fact that the majority of the bill is focused on ameliorating the effects of climate change, and on creating jobs, and that the programs in it help individuals and families at all income levels (excepting the very rich), the traditional media persists in calling it a “safety net” bill. “As a matter of clarity, we request that in your future coverage of the Build Back Better Act, you more directly describe what is in the legislation, i.e. child care, pre-kindergarten, paid family/medical leave, home- and community-based services, and more,” the groups write and then include a helpful list of the provisions included, to which media is pointedly referred. Read more