Honest Assessments Are Key to Ever-Evolving Democracy
By Caesar Andrews
Ever since the American rendition of Antiques Roadshow debuted on PBS in 1997, proud possessors of old furniture, art, jewelry, and quirky collectibles have queued up to present their wares to appraisers. Some owners discover that their belongings, believed to be exquisite treasures, actually are not worth much. Others hit the appraisal lottery, lighting up with glee when estimates of their artifacts match or exceed expectations.
During the current national period of civic, cultural, and political restlessness, this long-running TV staple is an instructive point of reference for assessing the state of democracy.
At this time of immense debate about the past, present, and future, the nation is experiencing intense reappraisal of its principles. During the first half of 2021, the Nevada Humanities’ series Why It Matters: Civic and Electoral Participation addressed multiple topics at the heart of debate. I moderated the organization’s May 11, 2021, conversation on Journalism and Democracy, featuring journalists Jon Ralston, founder and editor of the Nevada Independent, and Masha Gessen, New Yorker writer, author, and educator.
Both offered candid analysis of a disrupted but still on occasion promising media terrain. (See full conversation.) They also talked about shortcomings in how journalists and the public take measure of democracy. As Gessen put it: “We tend to talk about something that was built, like a house that we’re living in. … Democracy is best thought of as a dream. It’s always an aspiration.”
Antiques Roadshow’s certified appraisers refer frequently to the word provenance. They are referring to origins and records validating items being appraised. Estimated value rises, falls or locks in at a consistent level based on provenance, combined with criteria such as quality, condition, and unique characteristics. Timing also matters.
Use of the word reckoning surged in media accounts and in other public discourse in 2020, after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd. Public outrage not only amplified contemporary and historical treatment of African Americans at the hands of law enforcement, it also provoked fresh reconsideration of the grand American narrative, a story of extraordinary achievements frequently compromised by myths, omissions, and trauma.
The impact of reckoning is still unfolding as of mid-2021. How well momentum will endure remains to be seen. History shows a nation prone to evolving morally. Yet its progress often begats reactions that reek of racist recidivism. One recent attempt at redemption resulted in declaration of Juneteenth as a national holiday. Meanwhile, legislative and judicial assaults on voting rights continue unabated.
Keepers of optimism about the tasks ahead include Amanda Gorman. Just two weeks after throngs violently attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the 23-year-old poet dazzled the presidential inauguration ceremony with an ode to the nation: “ … while democracy can be periodically delayed it can never be permanently defeated.”
Converting poetic expectations into shared value for everyone demands tough-minded accountability by institutions and independent-minded assessments by citizens. It requires less reverence for tainted provenance. The quest for democracy demands more facts, more truth, more honesty.
Photo/KCPT. 2013. Antique Roadshow participants line up for appraisals in Kansas City, Mo. ("Antiques Roadshow in Kansas City - Behind the Scenes" by KCPT is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)
Photo/KCTS. 2012. Collectibles under review In Seattle, 2012. ("Antiques Roadshow Seattle" by KCTS 9 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Photo/Theresa Danna, University of Nevada, Reno. 2020.
Caesar Andrews is a professor in the Reynolds School of Journalism, where he holds the Leonard Distinguished Chair in Media Ethics and Writing. He serves on boards for two nonprofits: Journal-isms, a chronicler of diversity news in the media industry, and Fatal Encounters, a database for tracking police shootings of civilians. He previously worked as an editor for the Gannett Co. at newsrooms in Florida, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, New York, and Michigan.
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