These resources can help newsrooms get ready for Election Day and beyond

Election Day is fast approaching, and news organizations around the nation are working tirelessly to get ready. Knight Foundation has made $6.9 million in strategic investments in 2024 to bolster nonpartisan, fact-based election coverage, and many of the tools and services we have supported will be useful for journalists next Tuesday. A few are listed below, and we encourage newsrooms to engage now to be ready to make the most of these resources.

Register to use Votebeat’s Expert Desk and Election Urgent Care

Votebeat’s Expert Desk and Knight’s Election Urgent Care are available via Slack. Starting at 5 a.m. ET on Election Day, more than 100 experts and Knight Election Hub partners and staff will be on call to answer your questions and provide free help on safety and harassment issues, election-related legal matters, document and data gathering and more. Nonpartisan newsrooms covering U.S. elections are invited to apply for access now. 

Be ready to operate in a threatening environment

Check out the Election SOS 2024 Scenario Planning Guide and the U.S. Election Safety Summer—the latter a webinar series from the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Women’s Media Foundation and PEN America—to help map out safety plans while covering elections.

If you or a team member are subjected to digital, physical or psychological attacks, send an email to [email protected] with “SAFETY” in the subject line. Help will also be available on the Election Urgent Care Slack community. DO NOT describe any threats you face in detail over Slack or email. A care coordinator will reach out to you through a secure channel as soon as possible.

Prepare audiences for what could be a long process

After the polls close, many will turn to news organizations to understand what happens next. Trusting News offers pre-written explainers on what to expect when it comes to journalists’ role in calling elections, vote counting and accusations of fraud, and the Associated Press has a guide to the vote-counting process in key states. Find additional resources in the Election SOS 2024 Scenario Planning Guide. Start incorporating this information now to better prepare the public for what lies ahead.