In the months leading up to the presidential election, reporting detailing the importance of the Black and Latinx vote proliferated across the media. As uncertainty increased about which election-related issues were most important to communities of color, many journalists looked to researchers for insights. But as researchers from Black and Latinx communities, we found a disconnect in questioning that appeared to demonstrate that many newsrooms were commissioning stories based on preconceived notions of what they assumed were important issues, rather than attempting to learn what was happening on the ground. Appreciating the nuanced characteristics of these communities is critical for anyone who studies, funds or works on information disorder.
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