Thread by @stevanzetti

"What has passed for objectivity in our industry has been reverence for power...truth is not partisan."

Great speech by @nhannahjones this morning at the inaugural Democracy Summit.

Now, we've got Steven Levitsky, co-author of How Democracies Die, describing the electoral road to authoritarianism, and the characteristics of political parties that are edging toward autocracy.

"We believe this is a reaction to multiracial democracy."

"Either the United States will be a multiracial democracy in the 21st century, or it won't be a democracy." — Steven Levitsky

Next up at the Democracy Summit, a panel on how propaganda works with @jasonintrator and @ruthbenghiat, moderated by @danielleholley.

#cjddemocracysummit

"The cult of personality... and victimhood is central to authoritarians... The double image of the victim and the brute."

"First, pay attention to patterns. Stop acting like stuff is new when it's a pattern. Second, no false equivalences..."

@jasonintrator begins his remarks with five key points. Too many words for one tweet, but good stuff.

"There are no neutral words...there is no neutral language... What is the neutral term for lying or fascism?" — @jasonintrator

"Be very careful with the language you use because there are people who are trying to get you to adopt language that erases the real problems." — @ruthbenghiat

Now at the inaugural Democracy Summit, a panel on threats to democracy featuring @RachelOrey, @AveryElections, and @SIfill_.

Livestream is available here

https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/1592544495102746625?t=rL_lDbWxOuKTBz0dLo5-nA&s=19

"We are losing skilled people who understand how to administer elections...nobody wants to be threatened and have people come to their home...I don't know if we have figured out how to grapple with that fear and brain drain." — @SIfill_

"We need to reestablish accepting electoral loss as a democratic norm... We should not be congratulating people for conceding defeat. That should be the basic expectation." — @AveryElections

What an incredible resource. Learning about the @hu_blackpress archives from Brandon Nightingale.

Now for a banger panel with @AntheaButler, @KeeangaYamahtta, and Dr. Greg Carr at the inaugural Democracy Summit.

Butler starts off with a broadside.

"American democracy is threatened by theocracy," @AntheaButler says.

"Religion is a foundational piece in the destruction of democracy in America," @AntheaButler says. "And if you don't understand that, maybe it's time for you to get a new job."

Ta-Nehisi Coates speaks at the inaugural Democracy Summit.

"When we talk about a center for journalism and democracy, I don't know where else you'd want to be other than an HBCU...the tradition of Black journalism is the tradition of truth telling."

Now at the inaugural Democracy Summit, we are hearing from @JodiRave, @krforde, and @Maria_Hinojosa on the issue of the ways mainstream journalism has mishandled the issue of white nationalism.

#CJDDemocracySummit

.@krforde is describing a number of examples of newspaper leaders actively engaging in terroristic campaigns to end Reconstruction in post-Civil War southern states. Absolutely essential and horrifying history.

Now for the last panel of the day at the inaugural Democracy Summit about the mandate for pro-democracy journalism, featuring @jayrosen_nyu, @WesleyLowery, @AsteadWesley, and @cassandrajar. Moderated by @trymainelee.

#CJDDemocracySummit

"We need a journalism that is clear and transparent on our values...to be pro first amendment is to take a political stance." — @WesleyLowery

"We are talking about having a single standard of supporting democracy and how it operates for both parties, and if in the application of that standard one of the parties has turned anti-democratic, it's incumbent we report that." — @jayrosen_nyu