As calls for accountability for the Capitol Riots and other Trump era transgressions rise, journalists may wonder what is meant by accountability? What actors may bring it about? What role should the press play in holding Trump’s enablers to account as well as itself?

A panel of experts guides us through these questions:

Grant Tudor is a policy advocate at Protect Democracy where he was recently a lead author of the paper “Towards Non-Recurrence: Accountability Options for Trump-Era Transgressions,” which provides an analytical framework for policymakers and citizens to engage with questions of accountability in the post-Trump era. Dr. Rachel Kleinfeld, a senior fellow in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, has decades of expertise in strengthening the rule of law, stability, and security in the U.S. and abroad. Laura Livingston, a lawyer by training and the Europe regional director for Over Zero, has worked on transitional justice initiatives around the world. Jon Allsop writes the daily Media Today column for the Columbia Journalism Review, where he has recently discussed how journalists can hold Trump to account.  

Next Steps:

• Read Protect Democracy’s report on accountability
• Read Dr. Kleinfeld’s thoughts on the immediate steps needed to shore up U.S. democracy
• Read about how the press covered Trump
• Learn about how to build resilience to political violence