National mainstream media leaders have been clear: The Democratic nominee for president, Vice President Kamala Harris, must be willing to face tough questions from reporters. The press is here to hold our leaders accountable. She must be willing to address the issues that matter to voters.

And she appeared ready to do so when she stepped out of a black SUV on Thursday, strolled over to a group of reporters, removed her sunglasses, and said, “What you got?”

So the first question was about something Donald Trump had said. And the second question was whether she’d be willing to do more than one debate with Trump. And the third question was about why she thought Trump had previously pulled out of a debate. And the fourth question was about some things Trump had said about her running mate. And the fifth question was about when she would speak to the press again. And the sixth question, which she didn’t answer as she walked away, was about something Trump had said about her husband.

In her answers, she told the reporters she was “beyond trying to speculate about how (Trump) thinks” and that she was “too busy talking to voters” to catch the former president’s latest wild remarks.

I’m sure I’m far from the only one who noticed that, after much griping about Harris not taking questions from the press, the reporters who got a chance to speak with her only asked her about Trump, when she would be on a stage with Trump and when she would … talk to reporters again. But if these are the kinds of questions reporters ask, then what is the point?

Don’t get me wrong; I want public figures to be accessible. It frustrates me to no end how many times state officials do not give our reporters at the Mississippi Free Press and our audience the courtesy and respect of responding to serious questions. But that’s the thing: We should be asking serious questions even they don’t want to answer them.

Those reporters on Thursday could have asked questions about how Harris’ proposal to restore abortion rights nationwide would work. They could have probed whether her views have shifted on immigration, asylum and a pathway to citizenship. They could have sought clarification about how her approach to Israel and the war in Gaza would differ from President Joe Biden’s. 

Instead, the reporters who had that opportunity engaged in chatter designed to capture quick soundbites or elevate narratives that treat our elections as a horse race.

I’m proud to say that, at the Mississippi Free Press, that’s not what we do. In our own state and local elections, we skip opportunities to join in the media rat race to report on the political horse race. 

That’s why reporter Heather Harrison’s stories on last year’s governor’s race focused on where candidates stood on issues like health care and taxes—not on the latest zingers, polls or cheap stunts. And it’s why her reporting on the Neshoba County Fair this year was again all about issues like abortion and voting—not merely about personalities and the kind of goofy statements many of our politicians are often more than happy to provide at the mostly white fair.

A mam in a blue tshirt speaks to a seated audience inside a room.
Association of South Jackson Neighborhoods President Ernest Ward said during a July 18, 2024, meeting that some residents believe Jackson, Miss., leadership has failed them. Photo by Shaunicy Muhammad

Our focus on issues over sensationalism and clickbait is why our reporting team includes Torsheta Jackson, an educator-turned-journalist who now reports on education across the state.

It’s why our reporting team also includes Aliyah Veal, who writes passionately about culture in Mississippi, covering everything from music, to food, to film, to Black and Indigenous history of unfair treatment and embedded inequity as well as joyful celebrations and efforts inside communities now.

It’s why our reporting team includes Shaunicy Muhammad, who reports deeply on Mississippi’s capital city, its neglected communities and the residents fighting to ensure all of Jackson prospers once more.

It’s why our reporting team includes Nick Judin, who has spent years deeply investigating and reporting on infrastructure and housing issues after devoting much of his life in 2020 and 2021 to reporting almost exclusively on the COVID-19 pandemic.

And it’s why the newest member of our team, the impressive Illan Ireland, is going to soon be bringing readers in-depth, smart reporting on climate and environmental issues in Mississippi, including how it affects marginalized and immigrant communities. Not to mention another native Mississippi reporter covering his vastly underserved community we’ll announce soon.

I can’t speak to the national press and their priorities. But I know at the Mississippi Free Press, we believe readers yearn for and appreciate smart, thoughtful reporting that puts people’s lives center-stage. Good journalists know that the main stakeholders in elections are not the candidates; the main stakeholders are the people they seek the power to lead.

This MFP Voices essay does not necessarily represent the views of the Mississippi Free Press, its staff or board members. To submit an opinion for the MFP Voices section, send up to 1,200 words and sources fact-checking the included information to voices@mississippifreepress.org. We welcome a wide variety of viewpoints.

Award-winning News Editor Ashton Pittman, a native of the South Mississippi Pine Belt, studied journalism and political science at the University of Southern Mississippi. Previously the state reporter at the Jackson Free Press, he drove national headlines and conversations with award-winning reporting about segregation academies. He has won numerous awards, including Outstanding New Journalist in the South, for his work covering immigration raids, abortion battles and even former Gov. Phil Bryant’s unusual work with “The Bad Boys of Brexit" at the Jackson Free Press. In 2021, as a Mississippi Free Press reporter, he was named the Diamond Journalist of the Year for seven southern U.S. states in the Society of Professional Journalists Diamond Awards. A trained photojournalist, Ashton lives in South Mississippi with his husband, William, and their two pit bulls, Dorothy and Dru.