SouthernWorldwide.com – The Supreme Court’s recent decision to disallow racial gerrymandering has ignited strong reactions from broadcast networks, with many expressing outrage. An ABC reporter, in a segment from April 29, characterized the ruling as aligning with President Donald Trump’s “eager” attempts to “put additional restrictions on voting writ large” and to “really undermine confidence in the voting system ahead of the midterms.”
These networks frequently exhibit a tendency to equate “democracy” and “civil rights” with policies that benefit the Democratic party. While both parties have been actively engaged in redistricting efforts this year, the media has not adopted a nonpartisan, reformist stance. Instead of advocating for a less politically charged redistricting process, they have consistently framed Democratic arguments in a favorable light.
The shift in district lines by Republican-controlled states in the South before the midterm elections is undeniably disadvantageous to Democrats. This is often amplified by the media’s portrayal, which tends to favor Democratic narratives. Amna Nawaz, anchor of “PBS News Hour,” summarized the situation on Tuesday by stating, “The Supreme Court ruling against drawing congressional maps to protect black or other minority voters has sparked a new wave in the ongoing redistricting war.”
Historically, both parties have supported the creation of majority-minority districts. This strategy aimed to consolidate Democratic voters, thereby ensuring the perpetual election of Black Democrats without significant opposition. PBS and similar outlets often refer to this as “protecting Black voters,” implying that Black citizens lack voting rights unless they can elect Black representatives.
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However, the narrative becomes complicated when a majority-Black district elects a White representative, such as Tennessee Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen in Memphis, or an Indian-American like Michigan Democrat Rep. Shri Thanedar in Detroit. The fundamental right to vote, irrespective of race, belongs to every American citizen over 18 who is not a felon. This has always been the case, yet the media consistently distorts such issues to fit a Democratic viewpoint.
A common form of labeling bias is evident when “conservative” judges and politicians are presented as being opposed by “civil rights” activists, a term that often implicitly excludes progressive or leftist groups.
On “CBS Mornings” on Thursday, May 7, reporter Ed O’Keefe suggested that the redistricting in “Montgomery, Alabama, the birthplace of the modern civil rights movement” was a “Republican power grab.” Co-host Gayle King framed the discussion by stating, “Last week’s decision makes it much harder for states to create districts favoring minority candidates.” A more accurate representation would acknowledge that the districts favored minority Democrats.
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Another prevalent tactic is the use of the “covert liberal activist,” disguised as an ordinary citizen. In O’Keefe’s report on CBS, Rachel Turner was presented as an “Alabama Voter” who expressed distress over the Supreme Court’s decision, stating, “I just felt like I have been hit by a ton of bricks. So, many people gave their actual lives in order to exercise their fundamental right to vote.”
In reality, Turner is an active member of the Alabama Resistors chapter of Indivisible, a progressive organization known for its “No Kings” protests against Trump. She was previously featured in a local CBS News report in January, protesting ICE enforcement activities, where she stated, “We have to be persistent if we respond to violence with peace, then eventually we will overcome the troubles that are holding us down today.”
On Thursday night, O’Keefe returned to CBS to report on the Tennessee legislature’s actions, stating that Republicans “broke up a majority Black district.” He failed to mention that the district’s Democratic congressman is White, nor did he note that a Black Republican woman had previously run against him. O’Keefe relayed the account: “Tennessee Democrats could do little more than protest the move, and they did that standing in a line, shouting at Republicans as they voted overwhelmingly to drop the state’s one Democratic congressional seat.”
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On NBC, anchor Tom Llamas briefly covered the situation, stating, “We’re back now with the intense fight over the redistricting in Tennessee. Democratic lawmakers protesting after Republicans in the state legislature passed a new congressional map in the wake of that landmark Supreme Court decision.”
Neither CBS nor NBC saw fit to include the fact that state Rep. Justin Pearson, who had been lauded by broadcast networks for his role in a previous legislative fight over gun rights, resorted to aggressive language towards state troopers attempting to clear protesters from the chamber. He reportedly shouted, “Move the f— back! Boy!” and “What the f— is wrong with you? You stupid motherf—-r!” Pearson later issued a statement alleging that the Republicans had committed “a political lynching.”
On Friday, the Virginia Supreme Court overturned a Democratic-backed redistricting ballot initiative that had passed with a narrow 51.7% of the vote, despite significant financial backing. On their streaming platforms, networks highlighted the “voter-approved” aspect. NBC’s Zinhle Essamuah reported, “they struck down something that was voter-approved, a Democratic congressional redistricting plan. The Trump administration counting this as a win.”
CBS anchor Reed Cowan echoed this sentiment, stating, “the Virginia Supreme Court just struck down a voter-approved Democratic congressional redistricting plan in that state.” Reporter Katrina Kaufman claimed, “this is a significant decision because the Democrats will lose four seats in districts in Virginia.” This mathematical assertion appears to be an error, as it likely implies Republicans will not lose four seats they currently hold.
On the program “The View,” host Whoopi Goldberg asserted that little has changed in the South over the past 60 years. She argued, “We put the Voting Rights Act together because there was an issue, because they were keeping people from voting! They were literally shooting people! They were running them down with dogs to keep them from voting! OK? Let’s start with that. So, when they say that problem is gone, it’s not gone, because you’re still doing it! You’re still doing it!”
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This persistent refusal to acknowledge factual changes—that the era of rigid segregation and systemic racism has passed, and that a turning point on race has indeed occurred—underscores the significant flaws in the “news” provided by broadcast networks.
