CNN media reporter Brian Stelter said on Sunday that there was not enough discussion about "racial resentment" during the 2016 presidential election.
"There was not enough talk about racial resentment during the 2016 campaign. We focused on a lot of financial anxiety and not racial anxiety," Stelter said. "That is a regret I have personally."
There was discussion about race and racism during the 2016 campaign. Much of the talk was aimed at then-candidate Donald Trump, who was accused of igniting racial tensions. Stelter's own network discussed the issue.
The "Reliable Sources" host had on three Democratic strategists to discuss how the media is covering the 2020 Democratic primary: Karen Finney, former spokesman for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, Symone Sanders, former press secretary to Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I., Vt.) presidential campaign, and Dan Pfeiffer, senior adviser to former President Barack Obama.
"Let me level with you since the start of the new year, I thought about leading off this program about President Trump's insults, his latest slur against Elizabeth Warren. Then I thought, that is the problem," Stelter said. "Framing policies through Trump's shots and smears is one of the things that is wrong about political coverage. Let's start with a different conversation today, not about Trump but about the Dems."
Stelter asked Finney what her concerns are about the news coverage going into the 2020 election.
"One of the things [is] ... language and the language that we use. How the media covers the candidates — we can't be afraid to call out things that are racist or sexist," Finney said. "We tend to get things that are racially tinged or hints of sexism. Yet when we talk about anti-Semitism, we are very direct. Part of it is going to be not being afraid to call things out for what they are."