Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. had a scathing response to the “We Have Her Back” group who vows to be a watchdog to protect Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., from sexist media coverage heading into the 2020 election.
She commended the group for taking on the media and pointing out subjective and inconsistent coverage of female candidates, but she scolded them for singling out Harris.
“I would suggest that you seek to have this filter applied to all women in public service— liberal and conservative,” Blackburn wrote in a letter obtained by Fox News. “It should be equal treatment regardless of ethnicity or political inclination.
Balckburn said that she has had to deal with a double standard in her political career in which she was the first female elected to the Senate from Tennesee, and she still navigates uneven coverage.
“It would be helpful if you would choose to join me in making sure that all voices are heard and all points of view have a platform for respectful discussion and debate,” she wrote.
Last week, before former Vice President Joe Biden selected Harris as his running mate, several prominent women, including former Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett and Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson, signed an open letter calling on media outlets to refrain from using misogynistic, sexist and racist tropes against the female VP pick.
“We expect change,” the letter, addressed to news division heads, editors in chiefs, bureau chiefs, political directors, editors, producers, reporters and anchors, read. “We expect a new way of thinking about your role in how she is treated and the equality she deserves relative to the three men running for president and vice president.”
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In her response to the letter, the Tennessee senator said there is a lack of “viewpoint diversity” in the mainstream media and support groups, specifically citing pro-life women who have been targeted.
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“These stereotypes continue to infiltrate the media and newsrooms because women of the left — perhaps unknowingly — shun the woman that raises her voice and supports an issue that does not reverberate within liberal echo chambers,” Blackburn wrote.
This should be a moment in which all females are treated equally by the media.
“We must equalize treatment and respect of all women in the political process,” sthe GOP lawmaker wrote. “This would allow the American public, and women in particular, to engage in a respectful debate and point/counterpoint on issues of importance to women and their families.”
