Newsweek Discovers Gerrymandering, But Only When Trump Does It
Mainstream media, including Newsweek, often frame gerrymandering as an 'assault on democracy' when the perpetrator is a convenient villain. Yet, the systemic disenfranchisement built into American elections—from voter ID laws to felony disfranchisement—rarely gets such dramatic headlines. For decades, both parties have manipulated districts, turning 'redistricting' into a political weapon. This
particular 'legal blow' (Newsweek, 2018) is an isolated incident presented as breaking news, while the broader, bipartisan practice of carving up electorates goes largely underexamined. One might almost think the outrage is less about fairness and more about who is doing the unfairness. Gerrymandering isn't news; it's a feature. The real story isn't that districts are being manipulated, but that
the media decides when we should care based on political expediency. How many local elections are effectively decided before a single vote is cast, thanks to maps nobody scrutinizes?