Kamala Harris’s Media Representation
Kamala Harris’s public opinion has been reported as being primarily negative by the general right-wing populace. At a recent press conference, she and several other members of the executive cabinet discussed this issue. The general consensus was that the vice-president’s work was mostly behind the scenes but also very similar to those of preceding vice presidents. CNN’s Kate Sullivan and Betsy Klein reported on the situation in their article: Harris Says She Does Not Feel Misused or Underused as Vice president. Fox News’s Michael Lee wrote Psaki Charges Sexism and Racism Are Part of What's Driving Criticism of Kamala Harris about the same conference.
In the CNN report, quotes from several media interviews as Kamala Harris responded to questions were outlined. Harris presented he perspective of being misrepresented when described as “misused” and “underused”. She stated several times throughout the week that she was proud of the work that she has and will continue to accomplish throughout her and Biden’s term. The title subject of the Fox News article, Jen Psaki, is also mentioned in this article as defending the Vice-President’s work and status as a “key partner”. There is no mention of social prejudice as a source in this report but rather an overview of how the office is responding to these allegations. A previous interview with Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis is quoted as the Vice-President’s long-time friend describes the untruths regarding Harris’s work as “frustrating”. This article also brings into question the expectation of Biden and Harris’s running for reelection which suggests that Harris’s public support may be in need of revamping. In a concluding manner, however, Harris focuses more on her work with the quote “We’re seeing great results..” and declines any concern with polling results as the election is far from her first priority
The Fox News article already begins with a differing tone as Jen Psaki’s statement from her interview in Politico's "Women Rule" podcast is presented. In this episode, Psaki discussed the conservative perspectives of the Vice-President. It is implied in the article that the office’s belief is that Harris’ criticism from the right-wing as stemming from racist and sexist prejudices. The article also explains the initial rumor of Harris’s shortcomings as stemming from a previous news report which described the current White House as "entrenched dysfunction and lack of focus." Lee writes that this recent report was controversial and described as "racist and misogynistic.” Overall, the article suggests that the White House’s defense of Kamala Harris’s media representation is mainly due to her position as the first Woman and African American in the role of Vice President. As a concluding statement, Psaki’s tweet describing Harris as a “Vital Partner” is presented at the end of the report.
Both articles agree that Kamala Harris is being highly criticized as VP in her media representation. The two articles differ, however, in their perspective regarding the White House’s response to this occurrence. CNN reports mainly how the VP has responded with indifference while focusing on her political accomplishments and goals. The stability of her and Biden’s public support in polling is also addressed as their potential reelection falls into question. Fox News, however, portrays the heated responses to controversial reports stemming from prejudices of racism and sexism. Kamala Harris’s media representation is represented in subtly varying ways between more conservative and liberal outlets but generally agreed upon as a misrepresentation. The ways that these two articles differ are very impactful to their readers as it manipulates how the public views how the white house responds to criticism. Neither is extremely biased or detrimental, but it is very important to be aware of secondary sources’ abilities.