Press Influence and Democracy: From Wilmington to Jan 6th
American Democracy and Elections
The older end of the Gen-Z spectrum is a bizarre place to observe modern American politics from. It seems that every year since our birth has brought massive shifts in the perception of American democracy - from the nation’s response to 9/11 to Donald Trump’s cult of personality. It is difficult to picture America without the culture of violence and advanced capitalism that has shaped our upbringing. It is undeniable that today's America is a different country than that of our parents’.
Nevertheless, I am confident that “democracy” and “freedom” are two of the first words Americans use when asked to describe this country, regardless of generational differences. Despite having a democratic and majoritarian election system, we live in an age where skepticism towards elections is at an all time high. Over the past twenty or so years, and also since the birth of my fellow Gen-Zers, trust in American elections has been declining.
Democratic and fair elections are fundamental to American governance. Our country grants us the civic right to vote for our president, providing a voice in elections that is central to American democracy. who we want to represent our country as president. Yet, faith in these elections has waned, particularly since January 6, 2021.
This moment in history shocked many across the country - a literal threat to democracy. However shocking it may have been, it was not the first attempted insurrection in our nation’s history. Instead, an elusive chapter from North Carolina’s past reiterates the lengths Americans are willing to go to in order to protect traditional American values - in this case whiteness in a post Civil War world: the Wilmington Massacre.
The Wilmington Massacre and the Press
The period between Reconstruction and the Civil Rights Movement was one of violence and deeply racist sentiment that flooded the South. With his bigoted rhetoric, Josephus Daniels, chief editor of the Raleigh News and Observer, used his platform to lay the foundation for the New South to flourish.
The election of 1898 was a politically charged time in North Carolina history. The rise of the Fusionist Party, a merger of the Republican and Populist parties, allowed for a cohesive majority vote. This movement notably enabled Black politicians to participate in state government. Starting with the 1894 election, the two parties merged and achieved success in their campaigns. During this time, they implemented electoral and self-government reforms, steering North Carolina further away from its white supremacist roots.
In response to this progress, Josephus Daniels embarked on a racist campaign. Utilizing the power of the First Amendment, he used his newspaper to portray Black Americans as predators and to discredit the progress they had made over the past thirty years.
As the election approached and the Fusionist Party prospered, Democrats perceived a threat to the state's whiteness. Ultimately, their platform was grounded in white supremacy, self-identifying as a "white man’s party." Daniels collaborated closely with the Democratic Party, releasing news that promoted the Democrats' agenda. In fact, the News and Observer functioned as the closest thing Democrats had to an official party paper.
Fearing electoral defeat, Democrats resorted to drastic measures, culminating in the Wilmington Massacre. According to a 1898 New York Times account, it was a "day of bloodshed and turbulence." Seeking to silence Black journalists, politicians, and citizens, “an armed body of citizens, numbering about 400 …proceeded to the publishing house of a negro newspaper, The Record, to wreck it.”
The Wilmington Massacre involved hundreds of white men indiscriminately perpetrating violence against Black individuals, businesses, and communities. More than an act of political intimidation, it symbolized the resurgence of white supremacy in North Carolina, endorsed and enabled by influential voices in the press.
This targeted assault on a Black newspaper underscores the intersection of journalism and elections. It exemplifies how electoral ambitions can lead to the systematic targeting of marginalized communities and their institutions. Ultimately, the press demonstrated its formidable power, playing a decisive role in the Democratic Party's consolidation of power as they secured the election.
January 6th and Fox News
In 2023, we continue to see and feel the influence of the press on politics, particularly the rhetoric of more extremist news organizations such as Fox.
In a 2017 study by Gregory Martin and Ali Yurukoglu, Fox’s persuasive power was closely examined. It was found that had the organization not existed, the 2004 republican candidates share of the two-party vote would have been 3.59 points lower. There is no denying that Fox plays a role in swaying voters with their calculated yet powerful delivery.
More articles are emerging exposing the faces of Fox News for knowingly reporting false information. Currently, Fox is facing a $1.6 billion lawsuit for knowingly airing false information. In fact, just last week, Fox lawyers attempted to coerce producer Abby Grossman into taking responsibility for the organization’s airing of conspiracy theories and claims of election fraud.
In the Times’ article, Grossman highlights several different instances in which she was coerced into reporting untruthfully. In a text exchange between Grossman and David Clark, the senior vice president of weekend news, Grossman was encouraged to report a segment with Rudolph Giulani without checking if the story was accurate. In his text, Clark stated that “there will be no ‘fact checking’ today.”
In Fox’s defense, they are in a unique position concerning the news they are known to report. Due to their reputation of having a heavily conservative bias, it is difficult for them to deviate from this reporting style in our divided and capitalist society. A 2014 study on journalism revenue revealed that television contributes significantly to the industry’s income,with nearly a third of total advertising revenue comes from television streams.
Because news organizations, like the rest of us, are reliant on a steady income, stories that diverge from their typical conservative beliefs could prove detrimental to the success of more extremist news organizations such as Fox. Their approach and role in the 2020 election exemplify the pressure the network faced in preserving its financial integrity. Rather than preserving a reputation as a credible news source, Fox appears more concerned with keeping their primary audience in their conservative echo chamber.
This influence is crucial when it comes to the events of January 6, 2021. The attempted insurrection this day was not a coincidence, it was a calculated, month-long plan to overturn the election and reinstate Donald Trump to power. Since the 2016 election and even prior to his involvement in politics, part of Donald Trump’s persona has been sowing doubt among his supporters. So, it was no surprise that losing the 2020 election led to him challenging the results, urging Americans to “stop the steal.” Fox News helped cultivate this narrative with influential hosts calling Trump supporters to “stand up for what’s right” and even suggesting that the outcome of the planned events for January 6th would determine the future of American democracy.
Trends in the Press Involvement
At this point, it is clear that both the racist reporters of the Jim Crow era and the slightly more covert reporters at Fox News played a role in inciting riots. Both Fox and The Observer used their journalism as the direct tool to call Americans to partake in the violent events, rooted in preserving traditional American values.
In the Richmond Planet, a powerful black newspaper from the late 19th century, they describe the cause of the massacre as “the result of a concerted conspiracy which has been under way for several weeks. It was decided to secure the reins of the city government by treasonable practices.” Does this not sound familiar?
There was no shortage of threats made towards Black Americans leading up to the Massacre. The Raleigh News and Observer carried the message for anyone to read, threatening to fill the streets of Wilmington with blood.
In Josephus Daniels’ Observer, stories of women being assaulted by Black men were written, depicting them as dangers to society. Cartoons of crudely depicted black men would circulate from newspapers and further this narrative. Today, we more subtly target black Americans through microaggressions.
All these years later, North Carolina has still not formally investigated the attempted insurrection. Although it is disappointing to see Daniels’ legacy live on and history repeat itself, we can find some hope in the outcome of January 6th. Despite a national revolution and attempted insurrection, democracy still prevailed with Biden being declared the 46th president of the United States. With Gen-Z entering adulthood, I can only hope that my generation will be the one to enter the profession of journalism and use it to incite positive change and spark inspiration for a brighter future.
