'We have her back' memo cleverly wards off attacks on Kamala Harris By Liz Peek

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'We have her back' memo cleverly wards off attacks on Kamala Harris
By Liz Peek, Opinion Contributor — 08/15/20 12:30 PM EDT

Were the women authors of the "We Have Her Back" memo concerned about racism and sexism? Were they determined to protect Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) in particular from damaging news coverage? Or was it just a clever Democratic ploy?

Representatives of liberal groups such as Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Women’s Law Center and Supermajority recently wrote to senior news types urging “internal consideration” about what kinds of words and topics are acceptable in reporting on Joe Biden’s vice presidential pick, and which are not. Certain topics were described as adding to the “systemic inequality” that women and people of color endure and promoting “stereotypes and tropes” that undermine those people’s public images. 

The Aug. 6 memo was sent to media bigwigs before Biden announced that Harris would be joining his ticket. But some of the talking points might be seen as targeted to head off unflattering reviews of the California senator.

The memo says that reporters or anchors should not:

    Suggest that a female candidate is politically ambitious while ignoring similar ambition in men.
    Suggest that a woman isn’t “seen as subservient or supportive” in her relationships with partners, donors, staff, etc.
    Discuss whether the candidate is “likable.”
    Describe the woman’s weight, looks, tone of voice, attractiveness, etc., without doing the same regarding a male candidate.
    Report “on questions of electability” as a “perpetuation of a stereotype.”
    Report “on doubts women may not be qualified leaders” even when a candidate is equally or more qualified than men.
    Report on the heritage of Black women because it “perpetuates a misunderstanding about who is legitimately American.”
    Use pictures showing anger or passion that might suggest women are “too emotional or irrational” to hold office.

more
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/512160-we-have-her-back-memo-cleverly-wards-off-attacks-on-kamala-harris