The violent insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th was fueled by lies about our election from then-President Trump and his allies, including those in Congress.

But even now -- after Americans have lost their lives as a result of these conspiracy theories-- major network news outlets are still giving these elected officials airtime to spread them.

That’s outrageous -- these lies have been repeatedly rejected in courts at all levels, including by Trump-appointed judges. Even Former Attorney General William Barr conceded that the Justice Department had “not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election.” [1]

Giving politicians a platform to spew these lies only further endangers our democracy and the American people. This attempt to overthrow our democracy cannot be treated as just another political debate -- and there is no “both sides” to a violent insurrectionist movement that is still a threat to our national security.

These elected officials already have megaphones that are vastly larger than most Americans will ever have. This is not about freedom of speech or censorship.

Rather, it’s about recommitting to the boundaries and journalistic standards that the news media has always upheld: that those inciting violence with malicious propaganda should not be given a platform to spread it.

The news media is an integral component of rebuilding a functioning democracy -- and it must begin with affirming the truth. If you believe that networks like ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC must set a strict standard for interviews with elected officials -- and refuse to give airtime to those who won’t admit that the 2020 election was free and fair -- please add your name.

1) https://apnews.com/article/barr-no-widespread-election-fraud-b1f1488796c9a98c4b1a9061a6c7f49d